


The Weaponmaster's Grandson

by leannmanderson



Series: The Weaponmaster's Family [2]
Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Alberich and Myste as grandparents, Alberich as a grandpa should be funny, Also righting what I thought was a major wrong, Because Talia humiliating Justus is funny as hell, Because it answers questions, But Companions are also comic relief, But Rolan is still the premier stud among the Companions, But we all know Rolan and Ahrodie should be coupled, Companions are wise, Dirk as a dad, F/M, Ignores that canon says that Justus was killed in a bandit raid, Incorporating information from anthologies, Justus deserves it, Kantor is just as dense as his Chosen, Kero wants to kill Dierna's uncle, Kero wants to strangle her brother at times, Kid Fic, Like why isn't Daren king and co-consort?, Past rape/Non-con underage, Pregnancy, Rolan and Ahrodie are practically monogomous, Selenay didn't have near as much a right as they did., Talia and Dirk got cheated in canon, Talia as a mom, Talia likes undermining traditional Holderkin dynamics, Teen Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, You might call it Justus's justice, let's face it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 31
Words: 37,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23207872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leannmanderson/pseuds/leannmanderson
Summary: Sequel to The Weaponmaster's Daughter. Because we all want to know about Talia and Dirk as parents, and the idea of Alberich as a doting grandpa is just hilarious to me.
Relationships: Alberich/Myste (Valdemar), Dirk/Talia (Valdemar), Kerowyn/Eldan, Selenay/Daren
Series: The Weaponmaster's Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668571
Comments: 36
Kudos: 59





	1. A Small Announcemnt

Herald Talia did _not_ have time for this. There was so much to do since the most recent battle against Ancar. Not only had there been two new Chosen, one of them was the captain of the mercenary troops Selenay had hired and the other…

The other was Prince Daren, younger brother of Selenay’s unlamented late husband. 

And as if that wasn’t enough, poor Selenay had found herself in a Lifebond with him. Talia knew how strong they could be, too. After all, she and Dirk had a Lifebond. But at least Talia didn’t have a bad history – and a child – with one of Dirk’s dead siblings! 

No, a rebellious stomach was definitely _not_ what Talia needed this morning. “You’re going to see Devan anyway,” Dirk suggested. “You’d best let him know about this, make sure it’s not something serious.” 

That was true. Talia did spend part of her mornings, usually, helping Devan in the House of Healing. “I’m sure it was just last night’s fish,” she said, “but I’ll talk to him.” She kissed her husband on the cheek, then, finished dressing, and headed off to the aforementioned part of the palace complex. 

Devan eyed her once she arrived. “Sit,” he said. “I can tell already you’re not up to helping out today.” 

Talia blinked and did as she was told. “I didn’t even say anything.” 

“No, but you’re pale, and I can smell on your breath that you’ve been sick this morning. Any other symptoms?” 

“I’ve been tired for a couple of days, but that’s normal.” 

“Hmmm…” Devan placed his hand on Talia’s forehead. “No fever. When did you last have your moon days?” 

Talia found that she had to think about that. There had been so much going on lately that she hadn’t been paying attention. The more that she thought about it, she began to realize, to her horror, that she hadn’t been taking the moon powder since before the battle. She could also, to her annoyance, sense some amusement from Rolan. 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Devan asked. His tone said that he already knew the answer, and Talia nodded. Devan sighed, and though he already had a good idea, he went into Healing Trance and did a scan of his patient’s body. He came out of it, shaking his head and smiling. “Congratulations, Talia. You and Herald Dirk are going to be parents.” 

Talia’s emotions warred within her, though she kept a tight shield up. Eventually, she settled on the only one that made sense. Joy. Absolute joy. She and Dirk were going to be _parents._ She couldn’t wait to tell him. She just knew he would be as happy as she was to learn what their love had wrought. 

“Not a word to anyone, Daven,” she said at last. “I want to spread the news myself. Oh, thank you for such wonderful news!” She hugged him tightly and sprinted off, meeting Dirk halfway up the stairs to their suite. 

“What did Daven say?” Dirk asked. 

“Oh, Dirk, he just told me the most amazing thing. Dirk, I’m pregnant! We’re going to have a baby!” 

Dirk couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on his face if he had wanted to. He scooped Talia up and carried her down the stairs. “I’m taking you to Mero,” he said, “so that you can get a good, healthy breakfast. And we need to let Gaytha know, so that you can have new Whites made up.”

“I have to tell Selenay, too. But first, we need to tell our parents.” 

“Naturally. I’ll write to my family this evening. Do you want me to come to the salle with you? Or to your mother’s office first? Or do you want to tell them both at once?” 

“Both at once would probably be a good idea.” Talia laughed. “And we should probably do that, first, because if I go to Mero first, they’ll hear the news before I’ve finished eating!” 

Dirk was more than happy to carry his wife down to the suite that Myste and Alberich shared, where Talia had grown up. _:Ahrodie, would you mind reaching out to Aleirian and Kantor and asking them to let Myste and Alberich know that Talia and I need to tell them something?:_

 _:Does this have anything to do with the reason why Rolan is prancing around as if_ he _did something amazing?:_

 _:Likely.:_ Dirk wasn’t one bit surprised. He knew that Talia and Rolan had an extremely tight bond, even for Herald and Companion. 

After a moment, Ahrodie’s mind voice came into Dirk’s head. _:They’re on their way, Chosen. Now I just need to remind Rolan that the fact that yet another Companion mare is pregnant with his foal is not quite as amazing a feat as he’s letting on.:_

_:Oh? Who, this time?:_

_:Me.:_

Ahrodie’s mind voice was almost shy but still rather pleased sounding. Her answer, though not quite as blunt as it could have been in tone, was short and blunt enough that Dirk almost dropped Talia. 

“Dirk? Love? Is everything alright?” 

“It seems our child is going to have a Companion foal playmate. Ahrodie is carrying. And yes, it’s Rolan’s.” 

Talia laughed and wiggled herself onto the ground. “You know you don’t have to carry me constantly, right? I’m still capable of walking.” 

“So I should hope,” Alberich said, coming up behind them. “Kantor said that this is important, yes?” 

“Yes, Papa, but wait until Mama gets here.” 

“I’m here,” Myste said, jogging up behind Alberich. She had to stop to catch her breath. Being Herald Chronicler did not make for ease in staying in shape. She looked her daughter up and down as she did so. There was something….

“So, what it is that requires interruption of all our duties, hmm?” Alberich asked. 

“Well, you see,” Dirk started, “I plan on writing my parents tonight, but you two are here, so—” 

“I’m pregnant,” Talia said, unable to hold it in any longer. 

Myste squealed with delight and gathered Talia up in her arms, hugging her tightly. 

Alberich slapped Dirk upside the head for daring to make evident to the world exactly what Dirk was doing with Talia at night. “So, grandparents you now make us," he said. “Explain to Elspeth why you no longer share lessons, you now must.” He turned to Dirk. “As for you, ensure she eats more than she does, and now. I know what my daughter thinks breakfast is.” 

“I was going to do that,” Dirk said, “but we thought it might be better to tell the two of you before the rest of the Collegium finds out, and I think we all know that’s exactly what would have happened if I’d taken her to see Mero and Gaytha first.” 

“We’re glad you did,” Myste said. “Oh, but Talia, don’t you have Council this morning? Look at the time. You’d better run, especially if you’re going to tell Selenay before Council.”

***

Selenay and Elspeth were, predictably, thrilled at the news. It was the latest piece of good news that had started with the arrival of the Skybolts and the turning of the tide of battle that they had brought.

Selenay wanted to announce it at Council, but Talia shook her head. “I’m not sure we should go public with it just yet.” 

“Talia, I’m surprised at you!” Elspeth said. “Don’t you know it’s probably public already? The way rumors spread around the Collegium, I’m surprised I’m just now finding out, myself. And you _know_ the latest batch of Chosen are going to merrily do all they can to find out why Dirk’s bouncing with joy. Or is that why you don’t want it announced, yet?” 

“No, Dirk knows. I told him as soon as Daven told me,” Talia said. 

“Well, there you go. Daven can’t keep a secret, either,” Elspeth said. 

“Elspeth,” Selenay said, “it’s Talia’s choice. Rumors are rumors until an official announcement is made. Besides, there’s enough for people to talk about.” 

“Yes,” Talia said. “After all, there’s a royal wedding in the works, isn’t there?” 

"Why yes, yes there is." That comment came from Daren, Selenay's new betrothed and youngest prince of Rethwellan. He kissed Selenay's hand and then, as she laughed a little, he grabbed her and kissed her lips. 

"It's so unfair," Elspeth said to Talia. "How on earth does he manage to look better in student Grays than you and I ever did?" 

"I don't know, but I know Kris was the same, and you're right. It's so unfair," Talia said. "But if you think it's bad now, wait until he's in Whites." 

Daren grinned. "I'm practically there already. Alberich's satisfied with my fighting ability. Said he couldn't teach me anything if I'd had a Shin'a'in as my first instructor. They're really just waiting for me to finish up on Valdemaran history and law, and I only really need the finer points of the later, since it's not _that_ different form Rethwellian law." 

Talia found she had to pick her jaw up from the floor. " _My_ father said he couldn't teach someone better than someone else?"

"Well, to be fair," Elspeth said, "your father also admitted that even he couldn't best Skiff at knife throwing." 

"Oh, that's not a surprise," Talia said. "It's when he admits to not being able to _teach_ someone better habits. He even managed to teach Mama how to weaponize running away, and it's really about all she can do!" 

"We'd better get in there," Selenay said. "Talia, last chance. You sure you don't want to make the announcement yet?" 

"Announcement of what?" Daren asked. 

"Might as well," Talia said. She sighed dramatically. "Like Elspeth said, everyone's going to find out I'm pregnant soon enough, anyway. Oh, _what_ ever made me think I'd have any privacy?" She concluded this performance with the back of her hand on her forehead as she pretended to swoon, drawing giggles from Elspeth.

"You're pregnant?" Daren asked. "Congratulations!" 

Talia stood up straight, regaining her composure. "Thank you."

***

Dirk was practically floating as he sat down between orientation class and lunch to write what was possibly the longest letter he’d ever written to his parents without prompting from them.

_Ma and Da,_

_I hope this letter finds you all well. Talia and I have grand news to let you in on. While this certainly will not be a first for you, it is where we are concerned. Talia is pregnant, and you shall have a new grandchild by spring._

_All my love,_

_Dirk._


	2. Cravings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia and Selenay have cravings. Dirk and Daren are hiding from Talia's mood swings.

By high summer, Talia was miserable. But at least she wasn’t alone. Not only was sweet, gentle Ahrodie just as pregnant was she was, but Selenay was pregnant, too, having gotten to that point barely a month after she and Daren had wed. Thus it was that, when neither Council nor Court were in session, Queen and Queen’s Own commiserated together about their mutual woes, waited upon hand and foot by their loving husbands. 

“This has got to be a nice change from your first,” Talia commented. 

“Husband or pregnancy?” Selenay asked. 

“Both.” 

“Oh, absolutely. I got no sympathy the first time around. This time I get sympathy and empathy.” 

“I still can’t believe Daren wouldn’t let you crown him.” 

“Neither can I, but I understand his reasoning. He doesn’t want that kind of weight on him, but he’s plenty willing to support and take some of that weight off of me. It’s a blessing, really.” 

“Speaking of Empathy,” Talia said, “you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to keep my shields up! This baby is moving all over the place, and I love him to bits, and I’m happy, but there are times…” 

“When you feel like you could strangle even Dirk?” Selenay guessed. Talia nodded, and Selenay grinned. “Oh, trust me, as sweet as Daren is, I get the same way.” 

“I can only imagine what it was like for you with _him._ ” 

Selenay reached over and fluffed up the pillow behind Talia’s back for her. The two had been taking turns at it all morning. “Oh, I wanted to do more than strangle _him._ ” She shifted, letting Talia return the favor. “Oh, this baby is moving so much more than Elspeth did! I hope that doesn’t bode well for infancy. Elspeth was twice as fussy after her birth than before, and my pregnancy with her wasn’t exactly easy.” 

“According to Papa, you were also under a lot more stress,” Talia said. She rubbed her expanding abdomen. “I don’t know about you, but I could go for some pickles.” 

“With honey!” Selenay cried. She rang for a servant as Talia nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion. “Yes, pickles drizzled with fresh honey sounds like just the thing. I wonder where Daren and Dirk went?” 

“Probably hiding and expecting a mood swing at any moment,” Talia said, giggling. “They’re so silly.”

***

Daren and Dirk were, in fact, hiding in the salle, which was where Kerowyn and Alberich found them. 

“Well,” Kerowyn said, “aren’t you two a pathetic sight?” 

“Pathetic?” Daren asked. “Us?” 

“Aye, the both of you,” Alberich said. He threw a sword at Dirk. “If it is here you wish to hide from your wives, then practice, you most certainly both can.” 

“Who said we were hiding?” Dirk asked. He barely had time to raise his sword before Alberich came at him. 

Kero tossed a sword to Daren. “Please. I don’t know about Selenay, but I know damned well she and Talia are together, and that Talia is having trouble shielding because of the sheer intensity of her mood swings. Half the damn Collegium is hiding from _her_ at least.” 

Kero came at her friend and former lover with the same intensity that Alberich was focusing on Dirk. But Daren and Kero had both been trained by Tarma, and in the same techniques, and they were evenly matched, Daren’s extra strength making up for Kero’s merc experience. 

Then, without warning of any sort, Alberich and Kero switched places, as if they had planned it ahead of time, knowing where they would find Dirk and Daren, and they didn’t let up until after both men were pushed to the point of exhaustion. 

Daren turned to Dirk. “I don’t know about you, but I think we’re better off taking care of the girls.” 

“At least you just have Selenay,” Dirk said. “I don’t know if anyone’s informed you yet or not, but Companion mares have the same gestation period as humans, and I’m praying to the Havens that Talia and Ahrodie don’t go into labor at the same time.” 

“If they do,” Kerowyn said, “you’ll have plenty of help.”

***

_Dirk,_

_You’re not sending us enough updates on Talia’s pregnancy. Is she eating enough? Is she getting enough exercise? Is it the right kind of food? Is it the right kind of exercise?_

_Since you can’t seem to keep us up to date, your father and I have decided that I’m coming down to Haven. With two of your sisters having their Greens, I’m hardly abandoning my post._

_Expect me approximately a week after this letter reaches you._

_With love,_

_Your mother._


	3. Mood Swings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia's having mood swings. So is Selenay. And they're affecting the men (and male Companions) they love.

Jayla’s arrival was a blessing in more ways than one. She was able to write regular reports back home to the rest of Dirk’s family, and Dirk knew for a fact that his wife was in safe hands. Not that he didn’t trust Daven and the other Healers at the Collegium. 

But then there was the day, as summer turned to fall and the leaves began to take on brilliant colors, that Talia’s shields broke. 

At first, it wasn’t too noticeable. Talia was in a good mood. She wasn’t projecting, on purpose or by accident. But then two councilors got into an argument over how to best handle bandits at the border again. If Selenay was irritated, Talia was downright murderous as she jumped to her feet, leaned over the table, and growled at them to sit down and shut up. 

The councilors in question looked at the Queen’s Own and meekly did as they were told, quickly agreeing to the too obvious solution that Talia placed before them. 

Then, just as quickly, it was over. Talia was projecting perfect calm as she happily asked a servant to have some pickles brought, and a jar of honey, and gave a confused look to the council. “What?” 

“Nothing, Herald Talia,” Lady Wyrith said. 

Teren, having taken Elcarth’s place now that he was the new Dean of the Collegium, just arched an eyebrow at her. “Is everything alright, Talia?” he asked. 

“Everything’s fine,” she said. “Why do you ask?” 

“Oh, no reason,” Teren said. 

Talia looked at Selenay. Selenay looked back. Both of them laughed as if some fine joke had just been told. Elsepth looked at the two of them as if they’d each grown an extra head, and Daren sank down into his seat, desperately trying to avoid detection. 

He failed. 

“Why are you trying to hide?” Selenay asked. Then, suddenly, she burst into tears. “Is it because I’m getting fat?” 

“No…no….” Daren said. But it was too late. Selenay’s sudden mood swing had already reached Talia, and now _she_ was crying, too. 

“Don’t lie,” Talia said. “Selenay and I are a couple of fat cows and we know it!” 

One by one, the rest of the Council snuck out of the room, leaving Daren and Elspeth alone to deal with the two hysterical women. Daren tried to embrace Selenay. “No…neither one of you is fat…you’re both just…a little larger…because you’re carrying tiny little miracles…and those miracles need to grow.”

***

Rolan was not having an easier time of it, and he was starting to really resent his Chosen’s mood swings. He no longer pranced around. He and Talia were so tightly bound that he got the brunt of everything, just like Dirk.

At least Ahrodie wasn’t so silly or mercurial. Companion mares, thank the gods, didn’t have random mood swings. But then Rolan felt Talia’s shields go down in the middle of Council, and sure enough, somehow she managed to project even into Companion’s Field, and right to Ahrodie. 

The mare snapped at Rolan when he tried to approach, and as Rolan had never encountered this before, he wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it. So, he did what he had seen Dirk do for Talia and Daren do for Selenay. He went off and found some late blooming wild flowers and brought a whole bunch of them to Ahrodie. As he went about helping his Chosen get her shields right back up, he also brought Ahrodie some of her favorite treats. 

With Ahrodie appeased and Talia’s shields back in place, Rolan sighed inwardly. The next months were going to be very long indeed.

***

_:Twin?:_

_:Yes?:_

_:Would you please speak with a certain Queen’s Own? Her shields came down in the middle of Council, today, and between her and Selenay…:_

Keren chuckled a little and thanked the gods most fervently that, even if she weren’t _shaych,_ she was old enough there would be no getting pregnant for her. _:What’s the matter, Teren? Flashbacks to your ex-wife?:_

_:It’s making me afraid to approach her.:_

_:Be glad you’re not Dirk.:_

_:That’s for damned sure. Poor Dirk has got to be the most patient man on the planet, with Daren a close second.:_

_:The majority of the males of the Collegium still hiding?:_

_:Yes, and it’s started to spread to Bardic, from what I understand from Hyron.:_

_:But not Healers?:_

_:Not so long as Devan remains brave enough to deal with her. And, hey, Jaya’s here, allowing Devan to keep his reserves of courage up.:_

***

Talia, Dirk, and Jaya were deep in conversation about potential names when Keren knocked on the door. “Come in!” Talia called. 

“Hey, there, Little Centaur. Sherril’s on foal watch right now or else she’d be here, too. I just thought I’d come and see how the new mama-to-be is doing.” 

Talia’s face brightened. “Oh, how kind of you! I’m actually doing very well, thank you. Dirk’s been an absolute dream, and now that Jaya’s here to give Daven a hand, I know the rest of my pregnancy will go so smoothly. She’s even consented to stick around until after Selenay gives birth!” 

As Talia spoke, Keren assessed the situation. Dirk looked incredibly stressed and a little afraid. Jaya was as calm as could be, which meant that, if nothing else, both Talia and the baby were healthy. But, Talia at least seemed to be in a good mood. “Good,” she said at last. “Teren seemed a little worried.” 

“Oh?” Talia asked. “Why?” 

“Apparently, you and Selenay both got…rather emotional…during Council?” 

“Did I?” Talia asked. “I don’t remember.” 

“Talia, _ashke,_ , your shields dropped,” Dirk said. 

Talia’s eyes flashed. “My shields did _not_ drop,” she asserted. “I haven’t dropped my shields without reason or unknowingly projected or received in _years._ ” 

“But…” Dirk started.

Talia raised an eyebrow. Dirk shut up. Keren came over and sat next to Talia. “Dirk’s right, Little Centaur. Your shields _did_ drop during Council, today. Half the Collegium is afraid of you and your moodswings, especially when they coincide with the queen’s, and you even made Ahrodie nip at poor Rolan with your shields down and projecting like that, or so I have from Dantris, and Teren said you were unusually volatile this morning.” 

Talia blinked. Then she looked at Dirk. “Why didn’t you say anything? I’m sorry if I hurt you.” 

Dirk was wise enough to not point out that he _had_ said something and instead just kissed his wife. “It’s alright, Love. Now, you just tell me anything you want or need, and I’ll make sure you have it.” 

Jaya mouthed “good job” at Keren, who nodded. “Have you thought of names?” Keren asked.

“We were just discussing that,” Talia said. “We’ve got a few months, and we’ve got a final decision on a boy’s name, which we’re not ready to reveal yet, but we haven’t decided on a name for if it’s a girl. But we won’t reveal our final choice on that, yet, either. One name we’ve been considering is Bessa, after my birth mother.” 

“We’ve also considered Laurel and Nadja as pretty names for a girl,” Dirk said. “In fact, Nadja was the name of a previous Monarch’s Own.” 

“May I make a suggestion?” Keren asked. 

“Of course!” Talia said. 

“I think…as far as girl’s name’s go….I think Ylsa would have been honored to have your child named for her,” Keren said. 

“If it’s a girl, I’d be honored to name my daughter for her,” Talia said. “I just wasn’t sure how you would feel.”


	4. A Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia has her baby.

Dirk thanked every god and goddess he knew, and those he didn’t, when Ahrodie and Talia did _not_ go into labor at the same time. Not exactly, at any rate. Talia went with him to help Ahrodie, who informed her Chosen that her newborn foal was to be called Branwyn. 

It was as they were brushing down the newborn filly that Talia went into labor. Dirk managed to get her back upstairs and into bed, and wake his mother, before Talia’s water broke. 

It didn’t take long for word to spread throughout the Collegium that Talia was in labor. Devan showed up to help, but found he wasn’t really needed for anything other than to give Dirk a belt of whisky to calm his nerves. Not when Jaya had been joined by Myste, Keren, Sherril, and a very pregnant Selenay. 

Alberich joined Dirk and Devan where the men had been banished in the outer room of the suite. At about midmorning, Selenay was forced to rest and Elspeth took over, the young Heir upset that nobody had thought to wake her. 

Then, finally, at about the time that Talia _should_ have been at Selenay’s side in court, they heard a baby crying. Dirk jumped to his feet, waiting, staring at the door, as if by watching he could make the news come faster. 

Eventually, Myste exited, smiling and looking half-ready to collapse, herself. “It’s a boy,” she announced. “He’s fine and healthy, and so is Talia.” 

A grin slowly crept across Dirk’s face. “A boy….a son….” He turned to Devan and Alberich. “Do you hear that? A son!” 

“Aye, we heard,” Devan said. “Congratulations to both of you.” 

Alberich sat there, stunned. A grandson. He had a grandson. “And what,” he asked, “is his name to be?” 

“Talia and I agreed on that rather early on,” Dirk said. “We felt that there was only one name for a son, and that was to honor our dearest friend by naming our son for him. His name is Kris.”

***

“Mother won’t be happy,” Elspeth said. “I think she wanted to name my new sibling for him if it’s a boy.” 

“She can pick a different name,” Talia said with a yawn. “My son’s name is Kris, and neither Dirk nor I will change our minds.” 

“And you can be the messenger, Princess,” Jaya said. “As soon as my grandbaby is bathed, fed, and swaddled, Talia needs sleep.” 

“You won’t hear us arguing,” Sherril said. “But oh, Talia, he’s so handsome already! It’s as if he got all the good features from both you and Dirk.” 

“I just hope that if he turns out to have a Gift, it’s not mine,” Talia said. “Empathy can be helpful at times, but it’s one hell of a burden at others.” 

“Well, we’ll let you be for now,” Keren said. “I’m sure you’re exhausted, and Dirk is eager to meet his son.” 

The others left, then, and Dirk pushed his way inside to see his tired wife sleepily blinking up at him with the tiny bundle that was his son in her arms. He came over, sat, and looked down at the newborn. “He’s perfect.” 

“He’d better be,” Talia said. “He certainly caused me enough pain on the way out.” 

Alberich came in, then. “Wish to see my grandson, I do.” 

“He’s right here, Papa,” Talia said, nodding to the baby. She looked down at little Kris. “Don’t worry. Your grandpa just talks funny because he’s from Karse. And sometimes he seems a little gruff, but he loves you, I promise.” 

“Hmph. Remember well, I do, the first time you said I talk funny,” Alberich said. He reached out for his grandson, and cradled him gently as Talia tiredly handed him over. “Make jokes, your mother does, but she is correct, little one. Already I look forward to putting your first practice sword in your hands. I will teach you, just as I taught your parents, and when I am tired, I will have Kerowyn, or Jeri, or Skiff teach you.” 

“Alberich, Dirk hasn’t even gotten to hold him, yet,” Myste chastised. “Besides, I need to go record this.” 

Dirk laughed and took his son from Alberich’s arms. “I think you’ve been dismissed by your own wife, Alberich.” 

“Well, we shall let the three of you be for a while,” Alberich said. 

They left, then, and Dirk turned to Talia, only to find that she had already fallen asleep. Gently, he bounced his son and laid him into the cradle that had been a gift from his parents. “The others are right,” he said. “We’re all tired. Looks like you’re even already ready for a nap. Well, I suppose we’ll all have a good rest. Sleep well, Kris.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know in canon, Talia and Dirk's son is named Jemmie and Kris is what Selenay names her son. 
> 
> But honestly, I always thought it was WAY more appropriate for Talia and Dirk to name their child after their closest friend, and I've always felt like they got cheated on that front. So Lyra's twin can have another name.


	5. A Healing Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alberich and Kero get tired of Talia being unable to fight properly. Kero comes up with a plan.

As if the court needed any further reason to celebrate, it wasn’t much more than a month later that Selenay gave birth to not one baby, but two. The royal twins were named Lancir and Lyra. To both celebrate and to give herself time to recover before having to deal with Council again, Selenay declared a month-long holiday. 

Talia was just relieved she didn’t have to carry little Kris with her to Council for the next month. Still, now that she was recovered, she needed to get back into good form. 

Sparring, itself, had not been easy for her. Though the Healers had done all they could, she still limped, and her feet were still stiff. She supposed they always would be, especially since the pregnancy had made her limp worse. Alberich and Kerowyn, though, had other ideas. 

As Alberich bounced and doted upon his grandson, he and Kerowyn both gave Talia orders. When she fell, they made her get up. Finally, Kerowyn shook her head. “Talia, I think you and I need to go outside of Valdemar.” 

“What for?” Talia asked. 

“You know that sword I always have on me and keep threatening to drop in a well?” Kero asked. 

Talia nodded. “Yes, and I never understood it.” 

“Well,” Kero said, “she has a name. Her name is Need, and she’ll Heal anything short of a mortal wound in fairly good time. Problem is, she’s m-m-magic.” She sighed again. What was it about Valdemar that Mages couldn’t seem to stay sane there? “That means we need to get outside Valdemar’s borders.” 

“Heard of such things, I have,” Alberich said. “Heard stories of a sorceress who carried such a sword, when I was younger, before coming here. Of her and her Shin’a’in shield mate, and a massive wolf, and that they traveled much, but such tales came from the time of Arden and Leesa.” 

“They were Selenay’s great-grandparents, right?” Talia asked. 

“Aye,” Kero said, “and that sorceress was my grandmother Kethry. The Shin’a’in was her shield-sib, not shield mate. And yes, there’s a difference,” she said, catching Talia’s look. “A shield mate is someone you’re sleeping with. A shield-sib is someone you’re not but who you trust with your life. Her name was Tarma, and she was my sword teacher as well as Daren’s. And that _wolf_ was actually a _kyree,_ and his name was Worrl.” 

“So, we go to Rethwellan, then?” Talia asked. Kris started crying, then, and Talia took him. She wrapped a shawl around the two of them, allowing Kris to eat in some sort of privacy. “Could be difficult with an infant.” 

“I know,” Kero said, “but you’re supposed to be prepared to guard Selenay during any and all court sessions, and for three years, now, you haven’t been able to do that. We don’t know when or how that bastard in Hardorn will strike next. The last thing we need is the Queen’s Own unable to fulfill all the duties of her office.” 

Alberich looked thoughtful. “Kerowyn, possible, it is, that Need might work here, despite whatever keeps spells from working?” 

“No good,” Kero said. “She’s been…asleep, is the best I could describe it, ever since the Skybolts got into Valdemar. I tried using her shortly after the battle, because Eldan broke his arm, but no good at all, and for all that she prefers to only help women, she’ll help any man her current bearer cares about that deeply.” 

“Then we don’t have much choice,” Talia said. “Think we can get across the border and back before Selenay needs me in court again?” 

“By Companion? It should be no trouble,” Kero said. 

“Then let’s go.”

***

Talia was a little wary as they crossed the border. So far, everything had gone fine, and she had been reassured, more than once, that King Faramentha would absolutely _not_ do as Ancar had done. But that did little to change the fact that the last time she had left Valdemar…

It was best not to dwell on that. She had a feeling that Kris could sense her emotions, because he was starting to get a little fussy. The first time it had happened, she had checked her shields to make sure she wasn’t projecting. Then Selenay had assured her that _all_ babies and small children could pick up on emotions, especially negative ones. 

Besides, they weren’t even riding all the way to the capital, just to the other side of the border. In fact, they were staying two nights in a mountain cabin that had been built by Selenay’s grandfather when he was still just Heir to the throne. 

There was a surprise, though, waiting for them when they brought their Companions to the small stables. There was already a Companion there. Talia checked the sigil. “It’s Megwyn. She went on search about the time Kris was born.” Megwyn nodded, and Talia caught a burst of success and joy from her. “She’s succeeded. Her Chosen is probably in the cabin.” Again, Megwyn nodded, letting Talia know she was right. 

“Well, then let’s go greet the new Herald,” Kero said. “Poor kid may not even have any clue what’s happened to them.” She stopped short, then, when she saw the child. She hadn’t seen the girl since she was a toddler, but there was no mistaking Rordan and Dierna’s youngest. She looked too much like her mother, though she seemed to have inherited the nose that Kero and her younger brother shared. “Adlyn?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much CalicoJane for getting me back on track!


	6. By Blade and By Flame

The girl looked up at Kerowyn from beneath blonde bangs. The rest of her hair was tied back with a thong. She was wearing the type of dress that Kero had often found herself stuffed into as she blossomed into young womanhood, everyone around her trying to turn her into a young woman. “You have papa’s nose,” she said. “You look like one of the pictures at home. You must be my aunt Kerowyn.”

“Yes,” Kero said. “I haven’t seen you in a decade, child, since the last time I was home. We’ve already been to the stables. I see you’ve got yourself a Companion.” 

“That’s what Megwyn called herself, when she spoke to me,” Adlyn said. “She said she’s a Companion, and she’s bringing me to Valdemar to be a Herald, like you.” The girl giggled. “She also said she hopes I’ll be more orthodox.” She looked at Talia and Kris, then. “Hi.” 

“Hello, young one. I’m Talia, and this is my son, Kris. I’m traveling with your aunt.” 

“Are you a Herald, too?” Adlyn asked. 

“I am,” Talia said. “In fact, I’m a very special Herald. I’m called the Queen’s Own.” 

“What does that mean?” Adlyn asked. 

“It means that I’m the queen’s closest advisor and friend,” Talia said, “and sometimes I go on special missions for her. But you’ll learn more at the Collegium.” Kris chose that moment to become fussy, then, and Talia sat him down on the bed. She’d learned to distinguish between his different cries, and this one told her that he needed to be changed. 

Adlyn, meanwhile, turned her attention back to Kerowyn. “It is okay that I’m here, right? Megwyn said that this isn’t exactly a waystation, that it actually belongs to the queen, but it was the best she could bring me to, tonight.” 

“For a newly Chosen? I think Selenay will be alright with you sleeping in her cabin tonight. Talia and I are going to be here for two,” Kero said. “In fact, why don’t you stick around? You can ride back to Haven with us. I’ve got to know, though. What did your parents think when Megwyn showed up?” 

“They were surprised.” Adlyn shrugged a little. “They’d heard about Valdemar’s Heralds and their Companions. Mother’s always gossiping and talking to her family, and one of her cousins is always at the palace. She knows a couple of Heralds came to Rethwellan a couple of years ago, and that Prince Darenthalis is married to Valdemar’s queen, now. But she and Father both said that it’s unladylike. Father reminded me of what a disgrace you are, Aunt Kerowyn. They said that they’re still grateful you saved Mother, but… Well, they said if I went with Megwyn instead of staying home for an arranged marriage, they’d disown me. But how could I _not_ go with Megwyn?” 

“Every Herald gets that feeling, when they first get Chosen,” Talia said, “and you won’t be the first Herald from outKingdom. Your aunt is a good example. So is Prince Daren.” She laughed a little, then. “And then there’s my father. Believe it or not, he’s from Karse.” 

“I know I was shocked as hell when Sayvil Chose me right on the battlefield,” Kero said.

***

Kero knew they were on the other side of the border when she felt Need start to wake up, then stir as she latched onto the nearest woman in need. Fortunately, that just _happened_ to be Adlyn, which told Kero that there was a lot more going on than her niece being disowned for daring to be Chosen. “She’s safe for now,” Kero said. “Now shut up before I drop you into a well. I’ll talk to her after you Heal Talia’s feet.” 

Talia and Adlyn both looked at Kero in surprise. “What was that about?” Talia asked. 

“I’ll explain when we’re done and we’ve gotten back to the cabin for the night,” Kero said. “For now, Talia, you take Need and hold her.” 

Talia did as she was instructed while Adlyn held little Kris. The sensation was odd. Her feet had felt incredibly stiff since she’d been Healed initially. But as she held Need in her hands, she could feel power flowing through her. It felt like when Daven was Healing her, but not like that at the same time, because she wasn’t feeling her own energy draining. 

Slowly, she felt her feet begin to loosen. She flexed her toes in her boots and found that it was no longer painful. “Kerowyn, this is amazing!” 

“That’s what I said when my grandmother first gave her to me and I realized just how amazing Need can be. For some reason, she sleeps in Valdemar and doesn’t work one bit. But once we’re outside the borders, she Heals. She does more than that, too. She’ll block her bearer from magic if she’s a good swordswoman, or if she’s not a good swordswoman but is a mage, she’ll give her bearer unmatched skill with a blade. If she hasn’t got either, she’ll do both, or at least she did for me when I went after Dierna. She only works for women, though.” 

They rode back across the border to the cabin once they were done. As soon as they were settled in and Talia had Kris down for a nap, Kero turned to Adlyn. “You and I need to talk, youngling.” 

“What about?” Adlyn asked. 

“Adlyn, when I pulled out Need to Heal Talia, she started humming at me about _you._

“Why would she do that? I’m not hurt.” 

“No, but apparently you’re in some sort of trouble, or else she wouldn’t. See, that’s the other thing Need does. She leads her bearer to women who need help.” 

Adlyn looked down. Idly, she traced little patterns on the table with her finger tip, unsure how to explain it. “It’s Mother’s uncle, Lord Baron Reichart. I’m not a fan of his, and he doesn’t like me, either. He’s said for years that I should have been strangled at birth, because Mother had a hard time birthing me, and I’m too much like you.” She finally looked up. “Megwyn’s more of a blessing than I think even she realizes. And I _don’t_ want my parents knowing about this, but I’ve stayed alive, and kept Father alive, for the past _year_ by whoring myself out to his men when he comes to visit, as if I’m not under the age of consent, and he said if I ever even tried to run away, he’d track me down and kill me, and tell my parents he found me murdered by bandits.” Her voice was filled with disgust and fear. “And if I refused, he’d kill Father and make sure to keep tight control over Nathan. All to Reichart’s benefit, of course.” 

Kero and Talia looked at each other. If Talia hadn’t been shielding so tightly, her Gift might have flared up and caused Kero to go rampaging after Reichart, herself. As it was, she was angry enough. “Not going to happen, Adlyn. Not only will Megwyn keep you safe, so will every single member of the Circle. There’s not a soul in Whites or Grays that will let you be hurt by some ass who thinks he owns you.” 

Despite all of the healing that she had gone through, Talia couldn’t help but shudder. She remembered all too well what had happened to her in Hardorn. But she also knew what could help. 

That night, before bed, she got the fire in the fireplace going as big as she dared. “Adlyn, do you have anything here with you that you were wearing or had on you on those nights that you were with your grand-uncle’s men?” 

“What I’m wearing right now, and one other change of clothes. Also, a necklace he gave me. I was already packed up to run away, anyway, and planned on selling it.” 

“Change into something else,” Talia said, “and bring me the necklace and the clothes.” 

“What have you got in mind?” Kero asked. 

“After I healed physically, at least enough to start preparing to marry Dirk,” Talia said, “I still had to heal emotionally from the rape and from seeing one of my closest friends murdered. Hulda gave me some advice, reminding me that faith could help, so I turned to the Holy Writ of Vkandis. It writes about the healing power of flame. I got Elspeth, Keren, and Sherril to help me build up a fire and burn the rags of the Whites I’d been wearing that day, the boots, everything I had that reminded me of my time in Hardorn.” 

Adlyn brought everything over. “But you can’t burn jewelry.” 

“No, but you can cleanse it,” Talia said. “Go ahead, toss it all in.” 

Adlyn just did as she was told. Then she threw in a bracelet, as well. “I remembered while I was digging it all out that I was wearing this bracelet the very first time, too. Reichart….my grand-uncle….he said I should always wear it because it was a family treasure.” 

Kero frowned. “It’s a family treasure, alright, but not _his_ family. Adlyn, I know that bracelet very well. It’s a family heirloom from our side. It belonged to your grandmother, and to your great-grandmother Kethry before that. I found out later that it’s Shin’a’in in origin. It was a Midwinter gift from Tarma.” 

Talia stirred the fire. As it died down, she gingerly pulled the necklace and bracelet from the coals with a poker, and laid them before Adlyn. “Next step is to clean the soot and ashes off of them. Water is as cleansing and as much a part of life as flame.” 

Adlyn took the jewelry and cleaned them carefully. She found that Talia was right. This was cathartic. As she cleaned everything away, both gold necklace and amber bracelet seemed to take on a new shine, and she began to feel as if the emotional taint left with the physical. 

_:She’s very wise, Chosen. But then, wisdom is a hallmark of the Monarch’s Own. Still, Rolan says that his Chosen has been wise since a very young age.:_

_:I think you’re right, Megwyn. And thank you. It was the greatest day of my life when you showed up.:_

_:The greatest day of mine as well, Chosen.:_


	7. The Weaponmaster's Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solaris is starting to come to power in Karse. Changes are starting to ripple throughout the country. Somehow, Alberich's mother makes it north to Valdemar.

Something was happening in Karse. Even an old barmaid like Agathe could sense it. Things were changing in Sunhame, and those ripples were being felt throughout the country.   
It had been years since Agathe had last seen her son. After all, when your child went to the Sun Guard, it was expected you would never see him again. Then there had been the rumors that had reached her ears. That Alberich was burned as a witch. That Alberich was dead.   
But Agathe knew the truth. The same Sun Priest who had been kind to both of them, who had taken Alberich under his wing and gotten him into the academy, had come and found her, and Ulrich had gotten her a new identity and moved her to a new town, closer to the border. And there he had told her. He had explained to her how Alberich had escaped over the border, where to waiting Heralds had taken him with them.   
But not as a captive, no. Ulrich was close to this new Son of the Sun, Solaris, and she - _she_ \- had eyes in Valdemar. And now, with things changing in Karse, Agathe had hope. This Solaris, this True Born Son of the Sun, was ending the summoning of demons, ending witch burnings, and reminding people of long forgotten pieces of the Holy Writ of Vkandis.   
The people in Sunny Springs had known her as Inka. Ulrich had positioned her here, so close to the border. He was the one who had told her, last night, that her son, her Alberich, was one of the demon riders, the ones that they called Heralds in Valdemar. And now, with these changes…  
Well, she had an old dun mare. She had very little else, but it was enough, and Ulrich had given her some gold. She’d had to use part of it to bribe the Karsite guards. Perhaps it would be enough to get her to Valdemar’s capital and their Collegium, even though Agathe didn’t speak a word of Valdemaran. She at least had hope that the Valdemaran guards that she was approaching, resplendent in their blue uniforms, spoke Karsite. But how much would she have to bribe them?   
She wasn’t disappointed, linguistically, at least. “Hold, old woman. What business do you have, crossing the border?” the senior guard asked.   
“I wish to go to Haven,” Agathe said. “I wish to see my son, Alberich. I was told last night that he is one of your Heralds.” It was hard, at seventy-four, after a lifetime of being taught hatred, to not call them demon riders, but this was a matter of family. “I haven’t seen him since he was a child. Please… I have little in gold, but…”   
The guard held up a hand to stop her. “There’s no need to offer a bribe, ma’am. Anyone can see you’re no threat. And even here at the border, we know your son’s name, even if he hasn’t left Haven since the Tedrel Wars. I assume you don’t speak our language?”   
“Not a word,” Agathe admitted.   
The guard nodded. “Very well. I’ll send one of my people with you. She’ll act as your guide and translator. Things have been quiet along the border, and we expect things to be quiet for long enough due to our mutual enemy in Hardorn. I can spare her.”

***

Agathe was in amazement by the time they arrived in Haven. Her escort, Lenna, hadn’t allowed her to spend a single bit of her own gold, and had not only been a true guide and translator, but had also taught her a little bit of Valdemaran. It was enough to get help if she needed it. But Lenna didn’t just abandon her at the city walls. No. This kind woman, who had spent over a week helping Agathe get here, continued helping her, guiding her through the maze that was Haven’s streets and all the way to the Collegium.   
“This is the Collegium’s salle,” Lenna said. “Your son is recently retired as the weapons master for the Collegium, but they say he still tutors advanced students. He should be here. If he isn’t, I’m sure one of his assistants will know where to find him.”   
“I… I’m not even sure I’ll recognize him after all this time,” Agathe admitted. “I last saw him when he was ten, and taken to the academy to be a member of the Sun Guard.”   
Lenna looked at Agathe with sympathy. “Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you yet, Agathe. Not until I know you’re safe with Herald Alberich.”   
“Thank you, Lenna. You were assigned to be my guide. You did not have to be my friend, but you have become one.”   
“Well, I may never have aspired to much in the way of rank over my career, but I’ve built up plenty of savings, never marrying or having a family. I think I needed a friend as much as you did, especially with me on the verge of retirement, myself. Think I’ll come back up to Haven once I’ve finished my final tour down at the border, and you and I can sit and be old women together.”   
Agathe laughed. “I like that idea, Lenna. I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve erased seven decades worth of hatred and fear just by being yourself. You might be closer to my son’s age than mine, but I feel a kinship with you that I’ve never felt with anyone before. Thank you.”   
Lenna smiled. “Come on.” She dismounted and helped Agathe down and helped her into the salle. There, sitting on a bench, working on some armor, was an older man, in his mid-late fifties, a gray streak through his black hair. He didn’t look up. Instead, he barked something heavily accented Valdemaran.   
Lenna did not switch languages but stuck to Karsite. “You must be Herald Alberich. You are the only known Herald who would have a Karsite accent.”   
Alberich looked up in shock. He wasn’t used to conversing with anyone in fluent Karsite other than Myste and Talia, though Dirk had been picking up the language fairly well since he and Talia had wed. It was yet to be seen which language Kris’s first words would be in. “I am. And you are?”   
The guard did not answer. Instead, the old woman with her came towards him, arms open, on the verge of tears. “Oh, my son, what I was told is true.”   
Alberich studied the woman who was embracing him. Her face was older than when he had last seen it, by many years, but it was still the one he’d loved as a child. “Mother…”

***

Alberich and Agathe spent hours just catching up before, with only a hint of reluctance at having to share his mother’s presence, Alberich finally took her to the quarters he shared with Myste and introduced mother-in-law to daughter-in-law.   
Unfortunately for Alberich, there was no such thing as a lack of gossip among Heralds, and by late evening, a curious and delighted Selenay, twins and apologetic husband in tow, had shown up to meet this latest addition to what to her was just one large extended family.   
With both Alberich and Myste translating for her, Agathe answered Selenay’s questions, most friendly, some pointed questions that the older woman supposed that a queen had to ask. Selenay seemed especially interested in the idea of the changes happening to the south, though there was little Agathe could give her in the way of concrete information.   
“This only have I learned from Ulrich,” she said. “No longer can Karse and Valdemar remain enemies. He said that our kingdoms must join together at last if we are to survive what is coming, according to Solaris, and this she apparently got from her Fire Cat. Think of that, a Fire Cat!”   
“What’s a Fire Cat?” Selenay asked.   
“A thing of legend,” Alberich said. “The Holy Writ of Vkandis says that they appear only to the most holy and faithful. Like Companions, they tend to give advice, and tend to be stubborn and take their amusement from us.”   
_:There’s no need for that, Chosen,:_ Kantor said in Alberich’s mind. _:Besides, you’ll only confuse your mother, who, I’d like to point out, you’ve yet to bring to meet me. And I expect her to bring an apple when she comes, since I’m sure she’s kinder to poor, sweet, neglected Companions than certain Chosen I could name.:  
:Poor, sweet, neglected Companion my ass.:_ Even as he answered, though, Alberich could sense Kantor’s amusement. “Mother, Kantor has just requested to meet you in the morning. He requests an apple. Don’t let him fool you into thinking he’s neglected and has a lack of them. He likes to make others think I don’t treat him right just so they’ll give him treats.”   
“Yes,” Myste said, “and he’s rubbed off on Aleirian. I’m sure Talia is grateful he hasn’t done the same to Rolan.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, some of the information in this got taken from the Ask Misty page on Mercedes Lackey’s official website, which states that Alberich’s old teachers helped Alberich’s mother get a new identity to keep her from being punished after Alberich’s escape. From there I assumed that it must have been his earlier teachers in Karse and not Heralds because Heralds totally would have gotten her out. I also know from the same page that Alberich actually has no last name because his father refused to acknowledge him, Alberich’s approximate age, and that Alberich’s mother was rather young. Based on what little we know about her and about Karse culture, I went with his mother, who I named Agathe, as being approximately 17 when she had Alberich, and that Alberich is approximately 57 at this point in the timeline.  
> Also, I figured, what if the elderly Sun Priest Ulrich that we meet during the Mage Storms is that same sweet friendly young Sun Priest who helped Alberich get into the Academy and is the one who got Agathe taken care of after Alberich’s escape?  
> Thanks to CalicoJane for letting me bounce ideas off of her as I finally got back to writing after pulling myself out of a big long depression


	8. Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agathe meets Kantor. Talia, Kero, and Adlyn come home.

Agathe stood nervously at the fence surrounding Companion’s Field. In her hand, she held a large apple, one of the first of autumn, provided to her by a kind man in the kitchens named Mero. He didn’t speak Karsite. She still barely spoke any words of Valdemaran. But Alberich had translated, and Mero had been more than happy to fulfill the older woman’s request.   
Alberich whistled, and a large white stallion came running up. Agathe had never been a well-educated woman, but she had seen enough members of the Sun Guard that she knew what a warhorse looked like, and this was definitely a warhorse.   
The horse came to a stop, and she wondered, how had he known to come? How had he known that it was Alberich who whistled, and that the whistle was for him? And where was this mysterious Companion who supposedly requested an apple?  
“Mother, this is Kantor, my Companion. Kantor, this is my mother, Agathe.”   
Agathe held out the apple, her hand flat. So _this_ was a Companion. In Karse they were called demon horses. But Kantor looked like any ordinary white horse, even if his blue eyes were rather unsettling. Still, the way he took the apple from her was so gentle and delicate, she would never believe he was an ordinary horse or a demonic one.  
:Your mother is good at choosing apples. And do please explain to her that no, I am not an ordinary horse, and definitely not demonic.:  
:And just how do you think I ought to explain your nature to her?:  
:Angelic?:  
:I refuse to lie to my mother.: Still, Alberich smiled a little. “Mother, Kantor wishes to tell you that you are very good at choosing apples, and would like me to explain his nature to you. He suggested angelic, but that would be a lie.”   
“He speaks with you in your head?”   
“Yes. What in Karse they call witch powers, in Valdemar they call Mind Gifts. All Heralds have them. Most of us have Mindspeech. It means we can speak with our Companions, at minimum, though Heralds Keren and Teren can Mindspeak each other, easily, and are the only ones I know of who can Mindspeak each other’s Companions. But they’re twins. Talia is most odd. No Mindspeech. None of the normal Heraldic Gifts. Empathy and Mindhealing.”   
“And Talia is your daughter, my granddaughter?”   
“She is.” Alberich went on to tell Agathe the story of how he and Myste had come to adopt Talia after rescuing her. “Interestingly, since then, a small number of Holderkin have broken away and come to set up outside of Haven, and one of Talia’s former abusers from her earliest days turned out to be a very good woman who now runs the Home Farm.”   
“The Home Farm?”   
“It is where all of the fruits and vegetables are grown for the palace and the Collegium.”   
Kantor nuzzled Agathe affectionately. _:I like her, Chosen. Are you certain she’s_ your _mother?:_

***

Talia, Kero, and Adlyn were laughing together as they approached Haven. The Healing from Need had been a complete success. Talia knew because her feet had become as flexible as they had been in her youth, and sparring with Kero had allowed her at least one win.   
“I know that look on your face, Queen’s Own,” Kero said. “What mischief have you got in mind?”   
“Well,” Talia said, “you know what my father’s favorite training tactic is…”   
“Oh, I know,” Kero said. “It’s one of mine, too. We’re planning to start using it on Elspeth.”   
“What is it?” Adlyn asked.   
“Ambush,” Kero said. “Alberich always says, and I agree, that the enemy won’t always give you warning that he’s about to show up, and he would prefer to never give it unless he thinks its to his advantage.” She looked back at Talia. “But that doesn’t tell me what mischief you’ve got in mind.”   
“Well, I was just thinking…. How do you think he would feel if it was used against him? Might be a fun way to show off how well Need worked.”   
Both Kero and Adlyn laughed. Even little Kris giggled, though he couldn’t possibly know what was funny. “We’d best make sure Kantor is ready and willing to help distract him,” Kero said at last. “Otherwise, you’ll never get a chance.” _:Sayvil, love, do you think Kantor is up to the task?:  
:Let me ask him.:_ There was a pause before the Companion answered. _:Kantor thinks the idea is marvelous, and says that he will Mindspeak Cymry to ask Skiff to get Alberich into the salle.:_  
“Sayvil says we’re good to go, and Skiff should be getting involved, too,” Kero relayed at last.   
“Just one question,” Talia said. “Which one of you wants to hold Kris?”

***

“Heyla, Alberich! Would you mind joining me in the salle for a moment? I’ve been working on something with my throwing blades, and I need _someone_ who actually understands what they’re seeing to give their opinion.”  
“A moment, Skiff. I know your Karsite is not fluent, but introduce you to my mother, I would, and speak Valdemaran, she does not.” Alberich turned to Agathe, who seemed curious about the appearance of the dark-haired Herald. “Mother, this is Herald Skiff. I have taught him all I know, and now he thinks he has something to teach me!”   
Skiff’s Karsite was halting and heavily accented, but polite as he bowed. “A pleasure to meet you.”   
Agathe smiled. “Hello, Skiff.”   
The three of them headed off to the salle, then, and Agathe sat on a bench off to the side. Skiff acted as if he were fumbling when there was a sudden hit to Alberich’s side and Agathe screamed as Skiff jumped backwards.   
A blur of white topped with brown curls took Skiff’s place and intercepted the blade Alberich drew to defend himself with one of its own.   
Talia bounced around, mostly avoiding her father’s blade the way he’d taught her, having learned and mastered Skiff’s acrobatic style at a young age so that she could avoid an assassin’s dagger. Her sword was shorter, lighter, more maneuverable, and she eventually got Alberich in the side again before sweeping him off her feet.   
Alberich just laughed as he hit the ground. “Good! Very good! You have used my own training technique against me, _delinda!_ I see your trip OutKingdom has not been in vain. And Skiff, a part of this, you were?”   
Skiff just grinned. “Pass up a chance to help my best friend? Why would I do that?”   
“Afraid I am, though, Talia, that you gave your grandmother quite the scare.”   
Talia blinked, put away her short sword, and looked at the older woman on the bench and then back at her father before switching to Karsite. “Grandmother?”   
“Alberich, this is my granddaughter Talia?” Agathe asked. “What kind of child does such a thing to her own parent?”   
Alberich laughed again, something he hadn’t done in ages. Something about first becoming a grandfather and then getting his mother back for the first time in more than four decades had changed something in him. “A child of mine, Mother, and one that I have trained well. Talia is Queen’s Own Herald, and must be able to fight no matter what. I have long been hoping that she would learn to launch an ambush of her own against an enemy, for who knows when it will be needed?”  
Kero came in and handed over Kris. “We encountered a new trainee on the way. I’m going to take her to see Teren.”   
“Go, then,” Alberich said. He switched quickly back to Karsite. “Mother, not only a granddaughter, but you also have a great-grandson.”   
Talia came over, cradling the infant. “This is Kris. My husband Dirk and I named him for a very dear friend who, unfortunately, was killed in battle before we were wed.”   
“He is very handsome,” Agathe said. “And when will I finally meet this Dirk?”   
“I was just going to meet him for lunch. He teaches classes here at the Collegium,” Talia said. “Would you like to join us?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day! Both short! Why? 
> 
> Well, because I needed to do this as two separate chapters, and they both wanted to be short. Also, I wrote them both up last night/this morning, and got them posted while at the library today because I currently have no internet at home. Therefore, until I have internet at home again, how often chapters happen is going to be related to how often I'm at the library. 
> 
> Also, I'm working on a new original novel.


	9. Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adlyn is afraid. Kero, Megwyn, and Talia help her.

_To His Royal Highness, Prince Darenthalis, Daren,_

_  
One of my nobles contacted me recently to let me know that his daughter has been kidnapped by brigands. He was hoping I might write to you since he was unsure of how to contact his sister, Captain Kerowyn of the Skybolts, to alert her and to ask for her help. Since you and she are friends, and she went with you to Valdemar to aid them, I was hoping you might be able to get the message to her. Surely she will want to ensure her niece’s safety._

_  
Also, why is it you have not yet been crowned? I understand that you have been Chosen by one of their Companions to become one of their Heralds, as required by their law, unlike Thanel. What excuse does Selenay offer this time?_

_  
Faram._

  
Selenay was startled by Daren’s laughter as they went through letters together. “What is it?”

  
“I don’t think Faram believes that I _refused_ being crowned. He asked what excuse you’re using to keep it from me. I’m sorry my older brother isn’t all that bright at times, but hey, at least he’s not evil.”

Selenay laughed a little as she kissed him. “True.”

  
“That being said, it’s a good thing Kero’s home. I hate to break up any reunion she’s having with Eldan, but this letter actually mostly concerns her. Apparently, Adlyn’s parents don’t seem to realize that she’s here and safe and think that she’s been kidnapped, and I guess her brother doesn’t know _she’s_ been Chosen, too, because according to Faram’s letter, Kero’s brother doesn’t know how to contact her.”

  
“While you’re out, tell Skiff to go talk to the local Holderkin sect for a crash course in the culture. The new duty roster is ready, and he drew that sector.”

***

Kero paced. “Alright. Lordon and Dierna deserve to know that Adlyn is safe. It’s that damned uncle of Diera’s that I’m worried about.”

  
“Adlyn is perfectly safe here,” Eldan said. “Still, might be best to send the message by Herald Courier, or even just Herald.”

“Care to finally meet my family?” Kero asked. “After all, it is a family matter.”

  
“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all,” Eldan agreed.

  
“Well, if that’s settled, I need to get a message back to Faram,” Daren said.

  
“And I am going to go talk to Adlyn,” Kero said. “She needs to know what’s going on.”

***

Kero ran into Talia outside of Adlyn’s quarters. “What brings you here?”

  
“I sensed a lot of anxiety coming from her,” Talia said. “It’s bad enough it’s getting through my shields. She may have a touch of Empathy as one of her Gifts, because I can’t think of anything that would be going so seriously wrong.”

  
Kero frowned. “Then my visit isn’t going to make things any better.” She knocked on the door. “Adlyn? It’s your Aunt Kero. Talia’s with me, too. She could sense something’s wrong.”

  
The door flew open. Adlyn stood there, still in her night shift, though the breakfast bell had rung long ago, and the bell for first classes would be ringing soon. She was disheveled. Her eyes were red. She looked so pale. “I’m in so much trouble.”

  
The two older Heralds slipped inside. Talia shut the door gently behind her. “You clearly believe as much,” she said softly. “I could sense your anguish from the other side of the palace complex. Why don’t we sit down, and you can tell us what’s wrong?” As she spoke, Talia lowered her shields just a little. She sent out waves of calm, allowing Adlyn to sit on the bed and stop crying long enough to talk to them, which brought a look of gratitude form Kero.

  
“Remember what I went through before Megwyn Chose me? Everything I told you?” Adlyn asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ve felt this before. Three times before I’ve had to get into the herbs, to get some pennyroyal. I had to use pennyroyal. Nobody would understand me wanting childsbane, but pennyroyal does the trick, and I could use a headache as an excuse. And now… I need it again. I’m sure of it. I can’t have a baby. It will keep me from training. And I’m too young. And I can’t go home. And…”

  
Kero hugged Adlyn tightly. “Hey, don’t worry. First, before we get you anything, let’s make sure you actually need it. Childsbane can be very rough on the body if you take it when you don’t need it, and I know for a fact that some female Heralds end up missing their moon days because of how strenuous training can be. So do some female mercs, though for the most part, they use moon tea.”

  
“It’s true,” Talia said. Even without moon tea, I didn’t have my moon days for three months after I came home from Hardorn because of the stress of healing, and Elspeth threw herself into her weapons training so hard that she skipped a month, herself, because of exercise. Selenay has even missed a month or two because of stress, alone, and any Mind Healer can tell you that there are good kinds of stress as well as bad.”

  
“But I was throwing up,” Adlyn said.

  
Kero reached up and felt Adlyn’s forehead. “You also feel a little warm. You could just be sick. Like I said, let’s make sure.”

  
_:Listen to your aunt, loverling. And if you’re worried about word getting around about such a thing, I know for a fact that her Gift allows Herald Talia to sense_ all _sentient presences, so if you want, she can check, or I can, if you prefer. I would also like you to listen to all of your options before you decide on Childsbane if you are carrying a baby, because the only way your training as a Herald will end is if I repudiate you, and you would have to do something pretty bad for me to do that. And so long as you make a decision using all the information available, I’m going to support you, no matter what, as will every single member of the Circle.:_

  
Megwyn’s reassurance helped Adlyn so much. _:Thank you, Megwyn. But the way you talk…:_

_  
:Well, I haven’t looked yet. But I like to remain optimistic.:_

_  
:You make it sound like a baby would be a good thing.:_

_  
:I suppose I must admit, I like babies. You’re not wrong about the burden they can be, especially at your age. But I don’t go prancing about and trying to stick flowers in my mane for nothing. Which reminds me, would you mind putting a few braids in my mane next time you’re down to Companion’s Field? And a flower wreath, I think. Rolan thinks he’s hot stuff, and so do most of the fillies and mares out here, but there’s someone else out here I’ve got my eye on. And unlike you, I’m old enough to deal with the consequences.:_

  
Much to Kero and Talia’s surprise, Adlyn began laughing. “Sorry,” she said. “Megwyn just told me something funny. Apparently there’s a stallion among the Companions who’s being a bit dense. But Talia, would you… would you check? Megwyn says you can.”

  
Talia nodded. Again, she lowered her shields, and unfortunately got a good idea of which stallion was being dense thanks to an already strong connection between Adlyn and Megwyn. She raised her shields a bit, recalculating the strength she needed on this one, as it was only the second time she’d ever done it, and refocused.

  
“Well, your fears were right,” Talia said at last. “And yes, I can get you the childsbane if that’s what you want, or pennyroyal, since that’s what you’re already used to. I can use the same excuse for you with Mero about the headache, although around here, we usually use white willow bark for that. But at least you know what you’re used to with that.”  
“I promised Megwyn I’d listen to all my options,” Adlyn said. “Talia, you have a baby. What’s pregnancy and motherhood like?”

  
“I think it’s easier if I use my Gift to show you,” Talia said. And again she reached out, lowering her shields, gently easing Adlyn into rapport. She let Adlyn feel the joy that _she_ had felt when she’d learned that she was pregnant with Kris. She gave her the anxiety that she was doing something wrong, that she wouldn’t be a good mother. She gave her a taste of the mood swings, the highs and the lows, the cravings, and, eventually, the physical pain of childbirth, followed by the awe she had felt holding Kris for the first time. “But keep in mind that I had Dirk and I was already well past my internship and quite a bit older.”

  
“And not a single Herald or Heraldic trainee will look at you askance either way, but there aren’t really student quarters for trainees with children,” Kero said.

  
“And then there are the Blues,” Talia added. “Most of them are fine. In fact, the vast majority of them are learning to be artificers. They’re there because they, too, have something special to offer up to Valdemar. But some of them are Highborn children who are enrolled only because their parents want them closer to court instead of at home with private tutors, and sometimes they can be cruel, though that can be cleared up with a word to any of your instructors.”

  
“Ah, and here’s something else to consider,” Kero said. “Your father didn’t know how to get hold of me because he and I never communicate, because your parents don’t agree with my lifestyle. But he did contact King Faram, who contacted Prince Daren, because he figured Daren is my friend and therefore could find me easily. They believe you’ve been kidnapped. Eldan and I are riding out later to talk to your parents and reassure them that yes, you are absolutely safe, and inform them exactly what your mother’s idiot uncle has been up to.”

  
“Are you going to tell them about this?” Adlyn asked, looking down at her stomach.

  
“I won’t say a word about it unless you want me to,” Kero assured her. “They’re going to learn from me that you’re safe, that you’re under my protection, that you’re going to be a Herald, and that your grand-uncle is no good whatsoever. Anything else I tell them will be because you want them to know it.”

  
_:You could write them a letter, loverling. I’m sure your aunt would be happy to deliver it.:_

_  
:That’s a wonderful idea! But I still don’t know what I want to do about this baby. I’ve… I’ve been through this three times before….and I’m starting to wonder, could this time be different? I’ll be fifteen by the time the babe is born, but what about my training?:_

_  
:Just admit to them that you need a little more time to think about it. Herald Talia will be happy to get you excused from classes for the day, I’m sure. And then you go see Mero, get yourself and me something to enjoy, and then come out and spend the day with me.:_

  
Adlyn smiled a little. “Megwyn just had a wonderful idea.”

  
“I’ve already gotten images of what she has in mind from Rolan, since it involves me,” Talia said, “and she’s right. I will get you excused from classes for the day. But, until you’ve made a decision, is it alright if I talk to a couple of instructors about your situation? I promise that I, and they, will be perfectly discreet.”

  
“Make that three,” Kero said. “I need to go back to Rethwellen, remember? Jeri will have to take over all the classes. Your father will be happy to help out, I’m sure.”

  
“Four, then,” Talia said, “if my father is to be involved.” She turned to Adlyn. “Jeri and my father so that they can help you protect your belly during arms practice, just in case you decide to go with continuing the pregnancy. If not, your options are open for another month or so, so you’ve definitely got time to come to a decision that works for you based on what you want and need. The third instructor is my husband, Dirk, since he’s running your introductory classes. The fourth is Herald Teren. As Dean of the Collegium, he really should know that there’s a possible situation.”

  
“Do you think he’ll be angry?” Adlyn asked.

  
“Bright Havens, no!” Talia said. “First he’ll be relieved it’s not Skif reverting to his impish ways, or another student imitating him, and then he’ll be overjoyed that you were smarter than me and decided to seek out help instead of repressing everything!”


	10. A Family Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eldan meets Kero's family. Adlyn knows what she wants and gets the support she needs

_To His Majesty, King Faramentha_

_Faram,_

_I’ve spoken with Kero. She was, in fact, briefly in Rethwellan with Talia, whom I’m sure you’ll remember is my wife’s closest advisor and the one who came to ask for your help for Valdemar._

_It turns out that on the way across the border, stopping overnight at a cabin owned by the Valdemaran royal family, they found a Companion in the stables who had been out on search for her Chosen, and had stopped there for the night, having successfully brought her Chosen back across the border._

_You may rest easy knowing that said Chosen is Adlyn, Kero’s niece and your noble’s missing daughter. She wasn’t kidnapped. She was Chosen to be a Herald. She left without telling anyone what had happened for reasons of her own, but which she has given leave for me to express to you and the reason you are receiving this letter by Herald Courier._

_Baron Lordon’s wife, Dierna, has a rather nasty uncle who should have been arrested years ago, according to Kero. Baron Reichert has been allowing his men to regularly rape Adlyn, and keeping her quiet by threatening not only her life but her family’s. I strongly suggest having him arrested, and quickly._

_As for why I’ve not been crowned yet, I won’t be crowned at all because I don’t want it. I told you before that I refused it myself. I’ve seen how much weight it puts on you. I will support Selenay, and I will help take the burden from her, but I won’t put it on myself so deliberately._

_Your brother,_

_Daren_

The accusations against Baron Reichert made Faram’s blood boil. The idea of something like that happening to a child… It made him glad he’d produced only sons, though it also made him worry that he hadn’t impressed upon them enough to not do such things. He knew too well what had happened in his own family history.

He knew Daren well enough to know that he wouldn’t lie about any of this, and on that alone he sent his men out to arrest Reichert.

***

Kero and Eldan rode easily into the valley where Kero had grown up. Thanks to Quenton, they knew that none of Dierna’s family was visiting. That would make all of this easier.

The hold was abuzz with activity, but that wasn’t abnormal. Also not abnormal was the way everyone seemed to stop and stare. It was something relatively common in Valdemar, to see Heralds riding in, and people still watched. It almost never happened in other kingdoms, especially when they weren’t acting as envoys, so the strange looks weren’t unexpected.

They dismounted outside the door, leaving Sayvil and Ratha in the care of the astonished stable hands, who rushed to help them. That left the two Heralds to walk into the door.

Lordan and Dierna looked up. “Kerowyn, you came!” Dierna said. “I knew you would! First you rescued me, and now you’ll save Adlyn.”

“Adlyn doesn’t need rescuing,” Kero said. She pulled the letter from her pouch. “She was Chosen, and she’s safe at the Collegium. She sent this to you. I don’t know what she decided to tell you in that letter, and I’ll answer any questions I can once the two of you read it.”

Dierna and Lordan looked at each other. Lordan carefully unsealed and unfolded the letter and read it before passing it to his wife.

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_I hope this letter finds you and my siblings well. I know Landon will be alright. I fear for Jessa, though, unless mother’s uncle has finally been arrested, as Aunt Kerowyn as promised._

_I didn’t have time to leave a note. I was afraid it would be found by Reichert anyway and burned and wouldn’t get to you. But because of him and the way he forced me to let his men use me at night, I am now with child, and I fear that Jessa is next as soon as they start to notice her._

_Those times I asked Mother for pennyroyal for a headache, followed by terrible moon days? It was to rid myself of a child. I wasn’t sure at first, but as I sit here writing, I think about the cramping from the pennyroyal, and I think about what Herald Talia let me experience so that I would know what childbirth is like. I think about how much love and support I have here. And I know that I don’t want to do the same thing over. You will be grandparents._

_I didn’t even tell Aunt Kerowyn that I’d made up my mind when I gave her the letter. She knows the situation. She doesn’t know I’m going to keep the baby. I know it’s going to be hard. But I also know that whatever it takes, I will not let Reichert win. Not this time. And I feel that if I just do what I always have, I’ll just be letting him and his men win._

_I gave in to his demands to keep you safe. Aunt Kerowyn has promised me that I don’t have to do that, anymore. I am safe._

_I love you all._

_Adlyn._

Dierna nearly swooned. “My poor baby! She’s too young to have one of her own!”

Lordan was growling. “I can’t believe this was going on in my own house and I never noticed.”

“Daren sent word about this by Herald Courier to Faram,” Kero said. “You can bet that by now, Reichert’s in chains, which is where he should have been a long time ago.”

“When you go back,” Lordan said, “You tell her that one, she’s not keeping the child, and two, she’s not staying at that Collegium. She’s coming home to have a marriage arranged for her, and fast.”

“That’s not how it works, _little brother_. First, it’s Adlyn’s decision. Talia and I both told her as much, and I’m sure Megwyn, her Companion, said the same. Second, when a Companion Chooses, there’s no breaking that bond except through death or repudiation. Any attempt to force it broken can result in death from heartbreak for both Megwyn and Adlyn.”

Eldan stepped forward. “We really just came to deliver the letter and to assure you both that Adlyn _is_ safe.”

“And who are you?” Lordan asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Herald Eldan.”

Dierna looked at him. “Are you and Kerowyn married?”

“Actually,” Eldan said, “most Heralds don’t get married or even pair off, and the ones who do have a Lifebond, although Kero and I do have that, but we aren’t married in a traditional sense…” He began to trail off, seeing how uncomfortable he was making Dierna.

Kero, however, just laughed. “Don’t bother, Eldan. They know I don’t do anything in the conventional way. They’ve probably even guessed by now that I’m not a conventional Herald.”

***

Talia was surprised at how quickly Adlyn seemed to have made up her mind. A quick scan of Adlyn’s emotional state, though, meant that Talia was <i>not</i> surprised at Adlyn’s choice. But now there was a new problem for them to take care of. Thus she was sitting with the girl in Teren’s office, along with Dirk and an older trainee, Sarai, who was acting as Adlyn’s mentor. Kris, who had decided he liked to be passed around, was currently in Teren’s arms, but was looking around for his next target.

“Obviously this is an unusual situation,” Teren said.

Kris reached out for Sarai, who took him from the dean. “I agree, sir, but this is Adlyn’s decision, and I stand behind her.”

“If it helps any,” Talia said, “I’ve already spoken to Selenay, and she’s willing to approve anything that the Collegium sees fit to do to accommodate Adlyn’s needs.”

“And I’m not completely sure what I need right now,” Adlyn admitted. “I just know I don’t want a repeat of what I did when I was scared. I’m not scared here. I feel free. Herald Talia let me get a sense of what childbirth felt like. Well, what I sensed hurt more than using pennyroyal or Childsbane, but the end result felt so much better. I hated how I felt. I hated myself. I felt depressed. I don’t want to feel depressed. I don’t want to hate myself anymore. And there’s something else. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just this feeling that it’s important. Does that make sense?”

Kris reached out to Dirk, who took him. Like the other Mindspeaking Heralds in the room, he reached out to his Companion. _:Ahrodie? Possible Foresight Gift?:_

 _:I think so. I do hope it’s more reliable than Alberich’s. That would be most helpful. Megwyn thinks it will wake up fairly soon, likely in the next couple of days.:_ </i>

“It makes perfect sense,” Dirk said at last.

"I know that I'll eventually need larger quarters," Adlyn admitted, "but I don't see any reason why I can't stay in my current room until such arrangements can be made." She shyly took Kris, who had decided he wanted to be passed to her. "I figure, even once the baby is born, I'll want to keep him or her close anyway, to make feeding and changing easier, right?" Dirk, Talia, and Teren all nodded, all having been or currently going through this. "Well, then it should at least be good enough for me to finish out my first year at the Collegium." 

"And we'll help you find a way to keep up with your studies, too," Talia promised. "And, hey, at least you don't have to memorize every single crest and the correct list and order of titles for every noble in the kingdom!" 

"And if you have any trouble at all," Teren said, "come to any of your instructors. We'll all be happy to help you in any way we can. And preferably _before_ you've dismissed the troublemakers as stupid to the point that you let down your guard and they throw you in an icy river?" he added, giving Talia a wry look that caused her to turn red as she took Kris into her arms and was forced to tell Adlyn the story of how even a Weaponmaster's daughter could be caught off guard and nearly killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wasn't sure which way things were going to go an what decision Alyn would be making, but then I had an idea. As I often do when I'm not sure about things, I discussed it with CalicoJane, who is my partner in crime. She loves my idea. She knows what's up. You all will just have to wait.


	11. Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selenay and Talia take the kids fishing.

“Let’s teach the kids how to fish!”

Things had been strangely calm of late. Ancar had been quiet, with only minor skirmishes that the border guard could handle. The border with Karse had been rather peaceful, with no skirmish at all in over a year. And, somehow, even the toddlers were being easy. So Selenay’s desire to get out of the palace and even out of the city was no surprise. But fishing?

“I don’t see why not,” Talia said at last. “We have plenty of time this afternoon. Think Elspeth will want to go? She could act as an extra set of eyes for the littles, too.”

“That sounds like a lovely idea. I haven’t spent quality time with her in ages, at any rate.” _:Caryo? Could you ask Gwena to ask Elspeth if they would like to go fishing with Talia and the little ones and me?:_

After a moment, the answer came. _:Gwena says that she and Elspeth would be pleased to join you all. She also says that Elspeth was minding little Katriel for Adlyn, and that Adlyn’s last lesson of the day just came to an end, and would we mind too terribly if she invited Adlyn and Katriel along, as well?:_

 _:I don’t see a problem with that at all.:_ Selenay left off from her listening position, then, and relayed this information to Talia, who nodded.

“That’s fine. Did you have a particular location in mind?”

“Oh, I thought we would go to the Home Farm. There’s a stretch of the Terilee that runs past it that’s just perfect.”

***

Lancir, Lyra, and Kris were more interested in toddling around than in fishing. Katriel was half-crawling, half-walking, following the older three littles around. The presence of four littles had caught the attention of what Talia had taken to calling the granny trio, as over the past two years, Agathe, Lenna, and Keldar, though the later two were a good twenty years younger than the first, had formed a kinship, and all three had taken to playing grandmother to all four of the littles.

This was just as well, as Agathe actually _was_ Kris’s grandmother, but both Selenay and Daren’s parents were dead, Dierna was in Rethwellan, and Adlyn didn’t give a damn about which of her grand-uncle’s men Katriel’s father might be, let alone any other paternal kin. It had also allowed Agathe’s Valdamaran to drastically improve.

This allowed Selenay, Elspeth, and Talia to fish, until Keldar said something about Sen. “Sorry, what?” Talia asked.

“I said that I know you probably don’t care, but I received word from Keltvan that Sen has died. Sensholding is now Keltvansholding,” Keldar said. There was just a hint of sadness in her voice, and Talia wondered whether Keldar might have actually, in some way, at least cared about Sen, if not loved him. After all, how did you live with someone for that long and give him children without at least caring about him somewhat?

“Oh,” was all Talia could say. She could feel everyone else’s eyes on hers, of concern from Selenay and Elspeth, of curiosity from the others about who this Sen was. “Well,” she said at last, “I’m sure Keltvan is more than capable. How many Wives does he have?”

“Five,” Keldar said. “Sen’s remaining Wives have all gone to live with their oldest sons or into the temple. Keltvan fortunately does not have to worry about marrying off any of his sisters.”

“Who’s Sen?” Adlyn asked. “Sorry, I know it’s none of my business, just…”

“No, it’s alright,” Talia said. “Most people know I’m adopted. I don’t have a problem with anyone knowing that I was born on Sensholding, to a Holderkin man named Sen and his Underwife, Bessa.” She shrugged.”

“Bah. A reason they were run out of Karse, there is. Say their religion they will, but a lie it is,” Agathe said, her Valdemaran even more heavily accented than Alberich’s had been when he had first learned the language. “Look, you, how they treat their women and their girl children, how they abuse them and keep them ignorant, and the truth you will see.” She looked adoringly at Talia. “Well, my son did, to rescue this one, and for a better family I could not ask.” She turned to Keldar then. “No offense I mean you, Keldar.”

“I take none,” Keldar said. “Your son rescued Talia, and Talia came back and rescued me. Life on the Hold might have destroyed her, otherwise.”

“Well, I’m just glad to have some sort of adopted family here,” Lenna said. “Not that I need it. The Ashkevrons are known to reproduce in rather large numbers.”

“You’re an Ashkevron?” Talia asked. She pulled her line out, a rather large fish on the line that she immediately went to stringing. “When I was five, Papa bought me a horse from your family’s herds.”

“That and she’s idolized Vanyel since she was old enough for the stories,” Selenay said.

“In Karse, still used to scare children, Vanyel’s name is,” Agathe said.

“I have been away from the Hold for many years,” Keldar said, “and yet I’ve never taken the time to learn about this Vanyel. Perhaps I should.”

“I’ll bring you copies of my books,” Talia promised.

“Mama! Lan pushed!” Lyra cried.

“Lancir…” Selenay sighed.

But then someone else spoke. “Mama.” It was Katriel’s first word, and it brought reactions of joy.

Adlyn scooped her daughter up in the air. “That’s right, Katriel. Mama. Good job.”

“Mama!” Katriel repeated. Then she giggled.

“That was Kris’s first word, too,” Talia said. “But then his second word…”

“Grandpa’s sword!” Kris cried out, holding up a stick.

Elspeth had a smug look on her face. She enjoyed a good blade just as much as Alberich did. “That’s right, Kris. Someday your grandpa is going to teach you how to use a sword, and Skiff and I will teach you how to throw knives.”


	12. A Letter from Solaris

_“Papa, what are you reading?”_

_Alberich looked up at his newly adopted daughter. They had scarcely been back in Haven a week, and Selenay had personally delivered the adoption decree that morning between breakfast and court, an impish grin on her face. “The Holy Writ of Vkandis, this,” he said._

_Talia crawled up in Alberich’s lap. “What’s that mean?”_

_“Vkandis, the god I believe in, is. Holy Writ means sacred word or writing. A holy book, this, filled with Vkandis’s teachings.”_

_“Is he mean?”_

_“No,_ delinda. _”_

_“Does Vkandis say that girls have to be quiet and should get hit?”_

_Alberich’s heart almost broke. “Never,” he said. “Teaches that loved they should be, and cared for, and just as good as boys are girls.”_

_Talia’s eyes seemed to light up. “Tell me more.”_

The memory passed through Alberich’s mind. Since that first time she had asked about the Writ of Vkandis, Talia had shown an interest, had at one point even declared that someday she would be a Sunpriest like Gerichen. But that was before she had been Chosen, when she was still little.

And now Alberich lay in bed next to Myste. The two had been speaking earlier that evening with Gerichen’s outKingdom visitor, the Priest-Mage Karchanek. The news that Karchanek had brought, disguised as he was as a merchant, was nothing less than incredible.

The rumors Alberich’s mother had brought with her two years prior of reforms, the news that Eldan had as recently as the day before from his latest foray down into Karse as a spy, all of it had been true. He had learned more of the mysterious Solaris. The new Son of the Sun. A _female_ Son of the Sun.

It brought back another memory to Alberich, from the end of the Tedrel Wars. That boy, Kantis, had told him to just wait and see what his son, or rather, what his _daughter_ would do. Alberich had been perplexed at the time, but now he understood he was talking about Solaris.

And she wanted _his_ daughter, Talia. No. Not Solaris. Vkandis. _Vkandis_ wanted Talia. Talia, of whom so much had already been asked. Talia, who had already given so much to Valdemar, to crown and kingdom, just doing her duty. Talia, who, barely two years after being passed into Whites, had already done – and suffered - more than any Herald her age.

Talia, of whom he was so incredibly proud. As frightened as he had been at the prospect of raising a child, he had also loved her. He wasn’t sure when, exactly, that had started. Perhaps when she had asked him why he talked so funny. Perhaps when he first tucked her in at night. Perhaps the first time she called him papa. Whenever it was, it had happened, and he fervently thanked the Sun Lord every day for this blessing.

***

Selenay and Daren’s compartments were, naturally, the most secure at the palace, and Alberich wasn’t surprised to find both Selenay and Talia bent over paperwork already as Daren played with the twins and Kris. Daren grinned up at Alberich. “Care to help me out with these three?”

“Gran’pa!” Kris immediately stood and toddled over to Alberich, who scooped him up.

“Ah,” Alberich said, “as much as I would enjoy it, seek out Myste and my mother for such aide, you should. Unfortunately, speak with all three of you and Dirk, I must. Or perhaps fortunately, depending upon one’s views of the matter. See it as years of prayers potentially answered, I do.”

“Papa, does this have anything to do with Gerich’s quasi-legal visitor?” Talia asked.

“Some to do with him, yes,” Alberich said, “but more to do with you, _delinda_ , and this letter from Solaris herself.” With that he reached with one hand into the sleeve on the arm that was holding Kris and pulled out the arrow-sized tube. Lancir and Lyra continued to play with their toy Companions, but everyone else, even little Kris, watched as Talia took the letter and read it before translating it for Selenay and Daren.

“If this letter is true,” she said, “Vkandis _himself_ came to Solaris and ordered her to send for me to become one of his Sunpriests to help heal the wound between our lands.”

“Falsehoods we could not find,” Alberich said. “Studied the missive intensely, Myste has. Selenay, Daren, know you both what my mother has had to say about changes in Karse. Word from Eldan also, have I, as recently as yesterday, that what the Sunpriest Karchanek says is true. Willing to remain here as a hostage, Karchanek is. Necessary for him to stay, he says. Willing to undergo Truth Spell, he is, though sense falsehood from him, Myste could not.”

That alone leant credence to what Alberich had to say. It wasn’t well-known even within the Circle, but Selenay and Talia both knew that Myste’s particular Gift was Truth Sense without the need for Truth Spell. It wasn’t very strong. She could only focus on one person at a time, and had to be within arm’s length or two of them, but within those conditions, it worked well. Eldan’s testimony, relayed by Alberich, only sealed it.

Talia laughed a little. “Remember when I was little and told Gerich I wanted to be his acolyte?”

“Remember well I do, _delinda,_ ” Alberich said.

“I’m still not completely sure I’m comfortable with this,” Selenay said at last, “though I must admit that knowing that this Karchanek will be staying here as a hostage and is willing to undergo Truth Spell does help. I suppose I ought to hear him out. But this will need to go before Council as well.”

“You think you’re uncomfortable?” Daren asked. “Just wait until _Dirk_ hears about this.”

***

Daren was right. Dirk was very uncomfortable. “I don’t like this,” he said. “What if this is just a Karsite plot?”

“I trust them,” Talia said. “Between Grandmother, Papa, Eldan, and Gerichen, I think this Karchanek is telling the truth.” The two were speaking of the matter over lunch. Karchanek was to address the Council that afternoon. “Besides, I let my shields down a bit while he was addressing Selenay and reached out. I sensed nothing indicating duplicity. In fact, he’s rather open and genuinely cheerful. Havens, you should have seen it when a servant brought in a selection of pastries and some wine for entertainment! Karchanek tasted each and every one like a child, noting which ones were similar to Karsite foods and which were entirely alien!”

“And he’s a high-ranking priest?” Dirk asked.

“Very high-ranking, very close to Solaris,” Talia confirmed. “And I get the sense that even Rolan likes him, which speaks volumes all by itself.”

Well, _that_ was reassuring. _:Ahrodie? Is Talia correct?:_

_:Oh, yes, dearling. I’ve seen this Karchanek myself, and I feel the same. Kantor also agrees with our assessment.:_

Well, that was certainly helpful. “Well, I’ll want to go with you, Love.”

Talia nodded. “That’s fine. But based on the description of how we’ll be traveling, I’d rather leave Kris here. I’m not sure he’s quite old enough for an adventure like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m not sure I completely understand, but Karchanek mentioned something about building a gate.” Talia’s brow furrowed. “It’s something to do with magic, the kind we’ve seen from Ancar’s mages, but stronger, and with the aid of Solaris’s Firecat in Sunhame.”

And now Dirk was worried again. Karse, Valdemar’s ancient enemy, had real magic, more powerful than Ancar’s, and was apparently turning to them for an end to hostilities? But then he felt a wave of calm from Talia, and sighed. “Alright, _ashke._ I trust you.”

***

Alberich waited until after the Council meeting to tell his mother. After all, Selenay had blocked him from it, for good or ill, but she had told him the results. The next day, he, Talia, and Dirk would go through the Gate that Karchanek and Solaris’s Firecat, Hansa, would create.

“My granddaughter, not just the Monarch’s Own here in Valdemar, but chosen specially by Vkandis to be one of his priests.” Agathe’s eyes were bright with joy at the very idea. “Is it possible for me to be there for the opening of the Gate?”

“I am certain it is most possible,” Alberich said. “And I know that Myste will take good care of you while we are gone.”


	13. Priestess

Kris would be in good hands with Selenay and Daren, staying with the twins in the royal nursery. Two days before the Summer Solstice, Talia, Dirk, and Alberich stood with others in, of all places, Companion’s Field, where a hastily built arch had been constructed just for this purpose. While Karchanek explained the magic to Jeri, as he had already done to her and to the others involved in the decision-making process, Talia embraced first Myste, then Agathe.

Though Agathe was getting better with her Valdamaran, she still spoke in an excited Karsite. “You’re finally going to see our homeland, and in better shape, I think, than when your father left,” Agathe said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Talia said. She turned and embraced Keldar, who had also come to see them off. “No worries about superstition and magic?”

“To be honest, I long suspected you to be a changeling child,” Keldar said. “Sen was blond. Your birth-mother, Bessa, was also much fairer and blonder, as well, though a darker blonde than Sen. If I could live with a changeling child, I can deal with this.” She winked, then, and Talia was a little startled, both at Keldar’s attitude and at the mention of Bessa. It was the first time she had ever even heard her birth-mother’s name.

“Will you tell me more about her, later?” Talia asked. Keldar nodded, and Talia went and mounted up on Rolan, right between her father on Kantor and Dirk on Ahrodie. Together, the three of them rode through the open Gate.

There, in a courtyard, were a woman and a cat the size of a dog, brick red with a cream-colored face. The first words the woman spoke were, “I second the sentiment,” and Talia supposed that the Firecat must have Mindspoken her father.

Talia dismounted, and the woman, Solaris, turned to her. “You, I do hope, Herald Talia are,” she said in slow and deliberate Valdemaran. She held out her hand to Talia, and she took it, returning Solaris’s smile.

“You can speak Karsite to me,” Talia assured her. “I speak it fluently thanks to my father teaching me. Dirk still struggles, though.” Solaris and Talia shared another smile, and Talia felt a strange kinship with this woman. She felt that if she could choose a sister here in Karse, it would be Solaris.

Solaris turned to Dirk, then. “And this the formidable Herald Dirk would be?” She lifted one eyebrow ever so slightly, in a way that made Dirk flush, and Talia’s estimation of Solaris went up. Besides, Dirk was cute when he blushed.

Later, they sat together in the room that Solaris had assigned to them. “I like her,” Talia said.

“You did seem to have an instant rapport with her,” Dirk admitted, “and not the forced kind. Did you get a reading off of her?”

“Not in so much as I lowered my shields or anything,” Talia said. “But, oh, there’s just something about her. She has this natural authority, an assuredness that comes with knowing she belongs in her position. And there’s peace about her, the kind you can really only get when you’ve found where you belong and embraced it. I could also sense joy from her. She _wants_ this peace. I can tell.”

“I’m nervous about the ceremony. What if the others who are going to be enrobed aren’t quite so happy about this?”

“I suppose we’ll have to deal with it, and so will they. Hey, do you think Solaris will let us take some of this food home, especially some of the apple cake? I’m sure my grandmother would enjoy some.”

Poor Dirk didn’t know how to reply. “Well, maybe if you ask.”

***

On the day of the ceremony, the sanctuary was crowded. Talia sat with others who would be enrobed, her father and husband in a concealed alcove somewhere above. The sanctuary was ablaze with the colors of flame. Sun gems winked out from intricately carved sunflowers thank to the sunlight pouring through the great skylight over the altar. And then there was the pleasant, spicy incense from the censors.

It was the first time in quite some time that Talia had worn anything other than her Whites. Instead, she was in a simple black robe as she sat in a semicircle with the others. She waited as Solaris called the others up, one by one.

Then, at last, it was her turn. A quick casting towards her father and Dirk told her that both men were on edge, but Talia felt strangely calm, as if whatever was about to happen was the culmination of everything her life had been leading to.

“I summon the last candidate,” Solaris called. “I call Herald Talia of Valdemar.”

Talia felt a bit of perverse delight at the shock she was sensing from hundreds, no, thousands of people watching, even as she schooled her features and approached the altar where she bowed her head and accepted the garments of a priestess of Vkandis. Then she let Solaris take her hand as she spoke her vows, none of which interfered with her duty as Queen’s Own, loud and clear. Even Hansa cam and sat at Talia’s feet, purring, not stopping until Solaris once again spoke.

“The time has come,” Solaris said, “for an end to the ancient enmity between our land and Valdemar. It is time for all of the hatred, the fear, and the anger to be burned away. Will you come with me, and trust to me and to the God to whom you made your vows, Herald Talia?”

“I will,” Talia replied, her voice firm.

They turned together to the altar, and Talia barely stilled a gasp of surprise as the flames sprang from it with no human there to kindle them. And yet she _did_ trust Solaris. More than that, she trusted Vkandis, as she had since she was little, and her father had begun teaching her from the Holy Writ.

Suddenly, they were standing together in the flames. And Talia knew what her father and Dirk must be thinking, but she also knew what she was feeling. Even though she was surrounded by the flames, she didn’t feel the heat, even as they rose and completely surrounded them.

And then, when it was over, her robes were no longer black. As the flames died away, Talia’s robes were now white and silver, Heraldic colors, and a greater feeling of peace than Talia had ever believed possible filled the entire temple. And Talia smiled as Solaris proceeded to explain to others about the third order of priests that had once existed, the White Robes, who were dedicated to healing and keeping the peace.

***

Talia and Solaris embraced once more before they left through the Gate again. Though Talia was not capable of Mindspeech, she knew that something had passed between them, that the two would always be friends. “I believe you wanted some apple cake for your grandmother?” Solaris handed Talia the package.

“Thank you, Radiance. She’ll be overjoyed, I think.” And there was spiced sausage and herb bread for Alberich, as well, with a promise that sometimes, Karse would come to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in the short story Sun in Glory, we see everything from Alberich's POV. I just really wanted to write it from Talia's. I've felt from the beginning, when she and Solaris first take hands and both instantly smile, that they just have bonded right then and there.


	14. Keltevsholding

It was barely a month before Talia and Dirk were packing again. This time it was for a longer trip, and they decided to take Kris with them this time. Both Rolan and Ahrodie doted on the toddler, who was like as not to have one of his own in another decade or so. They were heading south, towards the border, to go over the final details of and sign the final treaty between Valdemar and Karse. Talia, now a priestess of Vkandis, fluent in Karsite, and wearing special Whites embroidered with a silver Sun in Glory motif, was the logical choice, even if she wasn’t Queen’s Own, and Dirk always went with her when she acted as an envoy.

Talia hated to think about what had happened the one time he hadn’t. Neither of them thought of it, though they thought of their lost friend often.

“Are you nervous at all?” Dirk asked.

“No, why would I be?”

“Well, it’s just, I know we’re going into Holderkin lands, where you were born, and I know your last interaction with your past didn’t go well.”

Talia shrugged. “The fact is that I barely remember anything from that early in my life. Sen is dead. Keltev was kind enough to offer us guest rights. And no, we are _not_ riding off in the middle of the night like last time we were down that way. That was a peculiar situation.”

“It was indeed.” Both of them turned to find Keldar approached them, and she held out a small package as she spoke. “Since you will be nearby, I was wondering, would you deliver this to Keltev?” 

“Of course!” Talia took it and slid it into her saddle bag. “Actually, we’re staying with him. The nearest inn is a day’s ride, so hardly convenient, and the nearest waystation, while much closer at only a few hours away, is still a bit further than we would prefer. Besides, as much as I prefer waystations, it just doesn’t have some of the facilities that we’ll need, like a way to keep our dress uniforms unwrinkled.” 

As Dirk lifted Kris up into the saddle on Ahrodie, Keldar petted Rolan’s muzzle. “I remember when you first brought me here and I rode on Rolan’s back with you, Talia. You had a different Kris with you, then.”

“Diff’rent Kris?” the toddler asked.

“Yes, son,” Dirk said, “the friend your mama and I named you after.”

“Oh,” was all Kris said.

***

Keltev was coldly polite when they arrived. “This is the third time Heralds have been here,” he said. “I don’t see how it can possibly end well this time after the last two.”

“Well, for starters,” Talia said, digging into her saddle bags and pulling out the package from Keldar, “I brought something from your mother.” She handed it to him. “Also, I’m an adult, now, and a mother, myself. Last time I was still just a trainee desperate to do whatever it took to save the kingdom and not sure how best to do things, grasping at an idea. This time, I’m a fully trained Herald, a Priestess of Vkandis, in charge of more than even your Firstwife could dream of, and Dirk and I have very explicit instructions as for how things are to go.”

“And you’re the one speaking to me, not your honored husband?” Keltev asked.

Talia arched an eyebrow. “I’m the ranking Herald. As far as the queen is concerned, I am in charge, here.”

Keltev and Talia looked at each other for quite some time. Two worlds were clashing. In one, Talia was in charge and she _knew_ it. No mere farmer would gainsay her, host and blood kin or no. In the other, Keltev was an adult male, and Talia was a mere female. She should be busy with her little, and he should be conversing with her husband, not the other way around. At least she had done well enough, in Keltev’s mind, in birthing a boy.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Keltev spoke. “Justus is finally marrying again tomorrow. When he learned that you and your husband would be here, he was rather insistent that the two of you be there. He will also be here for dinner tonight.”

“I’m surprised the Elders are letting him have any freedom at all after he murdered Andrean,” Talia returned. “But then, I’m not surprised. The idiot Elders here wouldn’t believe a woman’s testimony or the testimony of one who had broken away if the god himself came down, slapped them all across the faces with the truth, and shoved it down their throats.”

“Andrean was killed by bandits,” Keltev said.

“Justus stabbed him in the back, just as sure as he pressed that hot poker in my hand when I was five,” Talia said, shoving her hand in Keltev's face. Her voice was a low growl now. “I was _five_ , and it was an _accident._ And for that, you _all_ sat there and watched, with sick approval on your faces, as he grabbed the hot poker out of the fireplace and shoved it in my hand.”

Keltev looked defeated. “Let me introduce you to my wives, Talia. My Firstwife, Elina, can show you where you and Dirk will sleep, since this time you’re properly wed.”

***

In the small attic room assigned to them, Dirk looked at Talia with concern. “Are you alright, little bird?”

“I will be,” Talia said. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Mama mad?” Kris asked.

Talia sat on the bed next to her son. “I was a little. But mostly, Mama’s scared. You see, that man, Keltev, is Mama’s blood brother. Mama was born here, when Keltev’s papa was still alive. Keltev’s papa is my birth father. Your grandpa Alberich and grandma Myste adopted me when I was five. And Justus, the man who will be here tonight, is also Mama’s blood brother. He’s very mean, but only to girls.”

There was a knock at the door, then, and Talia opened it to find Elina there. The other woman, whom Talia guessed to be about her own age, held her head down and looked at Talia through half-lowered eyelashes. “Herald Talia, my honored husband wishes to invite Herald Dirk to a game of chess before dinner.”

Talia nodded and turned to Dirk. “Ashke? Do you want to play chess with Keltvan?”

Dirk arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Are you sure you don’t mind doing womanly work and being the one to watch after Kris for a while?” he asked, laughing.

Talia lightly smacked him on the shoulder. “Off with you, _ashke._ Enjoy your game. I will be more than happy to spend some time talking to Elina and the other wives.”

Dirk knew that look in Talia’s eyes. It was one of mischief. She had calmed down and was in a good mood again, and intended to undermine the system through the women and the littles, if he was reading her right.

Dirk went to join Keltvan, and Talia followed Elina. “If you don’t mind,” she said, “I’d like to introduce Kris to the other littles.”

“Of course, Herald Talia,” Elina said.

“You can just call me Talia, Elina. You don’t have to use my title.”

“The littles who are old enough to talk were all very excited to learn that we would be having guests, including Heralds other than the ones who sometimes come on circuit. I don’t doubt that they will have questions.”

Talia smiled. “I look forward to answering them. And, of course, I will be happy to answer any questions you and the Underwives care to ask, as well, if I can. How many littles are there?”

“Between some difficulty in conception and, of course, miscarriages and stillbirths, Keltevsholding is proud to boast nineteen littles, with the eldest, Andrean First Son, due to come of age within a year.”

So, Keltev _had_ remembered Andrean. Talia wasn’t sure how she felt. She barely remembered anything herself, but what few memories she had of Andrean were some of the only good ones she associated with the earliest days of her life. The others involved Vrisa.

Those days were long gone, of course, and now, as she sat in the kitchen, Keltev’s littles crowded around her, eager to ask her questions, to hear stories, and to meet Kris. Talia was all too happy to comply.


	15. Justus at Dinner

Justus Senson was used to his brother’s male children being pleased to see him, at the very minimum. So, when he saw that they not only weren’t pleased, but were giving him rather nasty looks, he knew it had to have something to do with the two far too white horses in loose boxes in Keltev’s stable. Or rather, with their riders. 

Furious, Justus marched into the kitchens, where the wives and the smallest littles, still too young to help in the fields, could be found. And there was Talia, dressed resplendently in her Whites, continuing to tell them stories. He grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. “What did you tell them about me, you stupid wench?”

Justus yelped, then, when he was whacked hard in the leg. “No hurt mama!”

He released Talia and turned on the toddler. As he reached down to pick the boy up, Talia grabbed him by the back of the shirt. “Don’t even think about it, Justus,” she hissed. “You are a guest here as much as Dirk and I are, and guess which one of us outranks the other?”

“Well, considering you’re a mere female,” Justus started.

Talia swiped her leg under his, knocking him to the floor. “I am not just _merely_ anything, Justus. Now get up, dust yourself off, and go wash for dinner, you petulant child. The other littles already have, and unlike you, they know how to behave.”

Justus burned bright red as the littles laughed. Even the women were quietly chortling at him. Still, at the moment, he had no real opportunity to do anything but exactly as he’d been told. But as she and Dirk explained, over dinner, their reasons for being there, Justus plotted. Then one of Keltev’s daughters spoke up. “Herald Talia, tell us about your trip to Karse.”

As Talia talked about going to Sunhame, becoming a priestess of Vkandis, Justus barely listened, until she spoke of standing with the so-called female Son of the Sun in the middle of flames, without being harmed. “I didn’t know you Heralds were prone to outright lies,” he said.

“Hush, Justus,” Talia said, “the adults are speaking.”

“At any rate, Talia isn’t lying,” Dirk said. “I saw it, myself, and so did her father, among thousands of others.”

Talia sighed. “Justus, Keltev tells me that you’re taking a wife tomorrow morning. If I recall correctly, you went through a few wives and they all died because you were that cruel, to the point that no father would let you take one of his daughters. The fact that the Elders have seen fit to not only set you free after you murdered your brother Andrean, after whom Keltev’s eldest son is named, but also to allow you to take yet another wife, tells me that they’re complete morons. Either that, or you’ve somehow changed, but our earlier interaction says that’s not the case. By the time this night is over, you’ll be fit to be a husband for once.”

Keltev looked nervous. “I knew it. I knew it. Every single time you’re involved, Talia, _something_ happens to completely upend things here.”

Talia managed to look completely innocent as she delicately buttered a piece of bread. “Me? Keltev, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She bit into the soft loaf, savoring it, and then eyed Elina, who had made the bread that day, and Zara, who had churned the butter. “Elina, Zara, the two of you are to be commended. Honestly. This bread is so incredibly soft, and this butter! Zara, you absolutely must share your secret to such perfect butter with me so that I can take it back to the Collegium. I declare, every bit of this food is fit to serve the queen, herself! And Selenay does enjoy good, soft bread and fresh churned butter so much.”

All five of Keltev’s wives, especially Elina and Zara, now looked incredibly proud of themselves, and Keltev, disarmed, puffed out his chest a little.

“I agree,” Dirk said. “Keltev, I enjoyed our game of chess earlier. I used to play with my best friend before he was killed on a mission in Hardorn. Talia doesn’t play. But she sings beautifully, and we brought our harps. Would you all like some music, after dinner?”

“Actually,” Keltev said, “outside of religious hymns and silly children’s rhymes like the sheep song, music isn’t a part of Holderkin culture. If Talia doesn’t play chess, Dirk, who do you play with back in Haven?”

“Oh, Elcarth is a more than suitable partner,” Dirk said. “So is Skiff. I discovered that when I was acting as his mentor during his internship. Kerowyn and Eldan play, as well, and so does Daren.”

Twelve-year-old Kala, the eldest daughter and Andrean’s twin, shyly asked a question. “What about the queen and the princess? What do they do for fun?”

“Well,” Talia said, “Selenay, believe it or not, likes to fish. In fact, not long before we went to Karse for me to become a priestess of Vkandis, Selenay, Elspeth, and I took the littles, as well as one of the trainees and her little, down to the river to do some fishing. Elspeth enjoys pottery and knife throwing. And then there are the two youngest. Prince Lancir and Princess Lyra are a month younger than Kris, and they just play with their toys.”

“Kala’s interested because she’s a misfit,” Andrean said. “She’s hoping you’ll take her with you when you leave.”

Keltev nearly choked on his bite of roast meat. Since when was his oldest daughter wanting to leave? “I thought you were happy and looking forward to marriage. I was already planning out your dowry!”

Kala flushed red. “I’m sorry, Father. You and Mother and all of the other Wives have raised me well and with much wisdom. But I’ve been hearing Herald Talia’s stories all afternoon, and they excite me. I realized I wasn’t happy here. I want to see the world.”

“You know it means complete and total excommunication, right?” Keltev asked.

“But Herald Talia comes back, sometimes, as a guest,” Kala said.

“Sweetheart,” Talia said, “that’s because I have a very special role that I play within the kingdom. Dirk and I won’t refuse you if, by the time we leave, you’ve thought over all the facts and decided that going with us is definitely what you want beyond a shadow of a doubt, and the law says you’re to be allowed leaving. But the law also can’t stop the Holderkin community from shunning you, because the law is that there’s no one true way. But the fact remains that I can never claim your family as mine because I was shunned when I was five, for nothing more than an accident and trying to escape your uncle Justus taking a hot fire poker to my hand. I was lucky. I was adopted, and my parents are wonderful. And then I was Chosen by Rolan to be the Queen’s Own Herald. If you stay here, you’ll either be married to a man your father chooses, or you’ll serve the goddess. There’s a good chance the man will beat you, like your aunt Vrisa’s husband does her. If you go with us, there is no certainty about your future, but Dirk and I will do whatever we can to help you find your way. Just promise me you’ll think about it and be sure.”

“I promise,” Kala said. “I’ll think really hard about it.”

Keltev looked at Talia almost gratefully. He knew Talia would be honest. Yes, it was true. Many men were heavy-handed with their wives and girl children. His own father had been. He was, a bit, at times, when he felt it was warranted. And yes, he knew that Justus was overly heavy-handed. And he had a new-found respect for her as he realized that, for all that she joked about upending the entire Holderkin system and could be argumentative, she was also open and forthright, offering up nothing more and nothing less than the truth about what could be expected by someone who left.

And so Keltev decided to be honest, as well. “And if you get out there, and decide that you want to be Holderkin after all, while our faith requires that you be shunned… You can still come home to visit, and there’s a breakaway Holderkin sect closer to Haven that will take you in. Your uncle Andrean, who your twin here was named for, was murdered for being a part of it, stabbed in the back during an attack by raiders. But they exist, and Herald Talia helped them to get settled.”

As they spoke, Justus remained silent, brooding. As far as he was concerned, that bitch he had once called his sister, so many long years ago, was going to be the reason their entire world, _his_ entire world, crumbled. He had to put a stop to it. Tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized today just before posting this that Keltvan's actual name is Keltev....


	16. Holderkin Wedding

Dirk and Keltev played another game of chess after dinner. Talia noted with some satisfaction that the two seemed to be developing a friendship of sorts. Well, as far as blood kin went, they _were_ brothers in law, she supposed. It was just a pity that Justus couldn’t seem to get past the ways Sen had taught his sons.

Content with the way her husband and blood-sib had chosen to spend the rest of the evening, Talia put Kris to bed and then went out to the stables to give the Companions their nightly brush down. It was a rare night she didn’t do this routine with Rolan, at least, and if she didn’t, it was because something serious was keeping her from it, like when she’d been still healing from her time in Hardorn.

She was just finishing up when her Gift alerted her to something. Anger and hatred, bordering on homicidal tendencies, all so strong they broke through her shields, and she spun around just in time to catch the hand that was reaching out to grab her. She twisted it and the whole arm with it, throwing the would-be attacker to the ground.

“Did you learn nothing in the kitchen, Justus? You can’t just go about attacking people just because they’re female or because they’ve made you angry.”

Justus rolled onto his side to get up. “You humiliated me,” he growled. “You, a mere woman…”

“You’re acting like a child, Justus. My two-year-old has better manners than you do. And don’t bother trying to attack me again. Unlike you, I’m actually trained for real combat. I’ve seen _real_ battle, _real_ war, Justus. I didn’t tell this particular story at dinner, because I didn’t want to scare the littles, or anyone else, for that matter, but let me tell it to you, now.”

And then she did. She told him, in every gory detail, what had happened in Hardorn, what she had been through. She told him about how she had seen one of her dearest friends, Kris’s namesake, murdered in cold blood. She told him how she had been captured, raped, brutally beaten and tortured. She showed him the matching burn mark Ancar had given her, the handprint she would always bear on her chest because of Hulda.

She was well aware that she was probably just giving him ideas for his own sadistic nature, but she continued on, and when he objected that none of her story was possible, she brought him into rapport and let him feel it. By the end of it all, Justus looked incredibly pale and sick.

“Now do you believe me?” she asked. Justus just nodded, and Talia sighed. “Justus, Keltev has learned to be a better man. You’re supposed to be getting married in the morning, and in the afternoon, Dirk and I are meeting with the envoys from Karse to sign the new treaty. Keltev said that you requested we be there. I don’t know why. But know this. I will be telling your new bride that if you harm her and she is afraid of you for any reason, she is welcome to write to me, and I will come down here and give you a proper beating for her, if she wishes.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be giving her a reason to write you for anything more serious than wishing you a joyous birthing day,” Justus said. “That…what you experienced…what I felt from you…” He was actually shaking, and for the first time ever, Talia felt some sympathy for him.

“I’m sorry I had to do that, but you weren’t taking me at my word, Justus. Remember this from now on. Women are vital to the running of a steading. You will never grow from a steading to a proper holding of your own if you are so cruel to your wife and, eventually, wives, that they are dying before they can even give you children. You cannot get good, healthy sons without them, and while having daughters requires providing dowries, you can use those dowries to catch in younger sons and actually increase your holdings instead of decreasing them. But in order to get either sons or daughters, you must have healthy wives who are not so afraid of you they don’t even want to bed you and would rather die.”

***

Holderkin weddings were simple affairs. Talia had to admit she’d have rather had something simple than the elaborate affair that she and Dirk had received, but there had been no way around it.

Men and women sat on opposite sides of the temple. A priest of the god oversaw everything as the bride’s honored father brought his daughter into the temple wearing her best tunic and pants, both heavily embroidered, and clasped her hand into Justus’s. When asked by the priest of she promised to obey Justus in all things and to provide sons for him, to care for his steading all to the best of her ability, she said yes.

Not that she had any choice in the matter. The yes from her was a mere formality. This poor girl was barely thirteen, Talia was sure. This marriage was completely arranged, and she was being given the dubious honor of becoming a Firstwife to Justus. Talia had heard of girls begging not to be given to one man or another, begging for a boy that they had somehow fallen in love with or some other choice they’d been denied, or to be allowed to wait, and still the ring had been placed on her finger, even when she refused to answer the question.

But there was something about this girl, this young new Firstwife. Talia lowered her shields and probed at her a little and nearly gasped when she sensed willingness and…affection? For Justus? Confused, Talia probed just a little further. She wasn’t thirteen. She was older, sixteen, perhaps seventeen, just very petite.

Talia knew there _had_ to be a story behind this match. After the wedding, as women mingled with women and men with men, she made her way to the new bride to inquire about it. The young woman smiled at Talia. “You’re right,” she said. “I am willing, and I did get a say in the match, once my honored father realized that no matter how well-guarded, I was, I would find a way out of the temple. He figured it out when I told him I’m already with child.”

“But surely you knew his reputation?” Talia asked.

“Oh, I knew, but I didn’t care. There’s something else about him, deep inside. He was raised to be cruel. But under it all, he does have kindness within him. There’s a strange feeling when we see each other, as if there’s an inexorable bond that just can’t be broken.”

So that was it. It was a Lifebond, like the one she shared with Dirk. That explained everything. She sent questioning images to Rolan, indicating that she wanted for him to pass the message to Ahrodie to have Dirk ask Justus. The images she eventually got back confirmed her suspicion. And so, she congratulated her new sister-in-law. But she and Dirk needed to get going so that they could meet with the Karsite envoys.

Compared to dealing with Justus, meeting with the Karsite envoys was far simpler. They went over the major and minor points of the treaty, and then all four, two from each side, signed both copies of the document.

“A pleasure, this has been,” the head envoy said. “A permanent ambassador, her Radience has yet to choose. When done so she has, word shall your queen receive.”

Talia smiled and shook his hand. “We’re looking forward to it.”

"Oh, and one more thing, there is," the envoy said, holding out a package. "This, Her Radiance sends, for your family, as part of a promise to your father she keeps." 

"Thank you, Envoy. I'm sure my father will be most happy that Her Radiance has remembered him." 


	17. Choosings

Thirteen. How was it that Kris was thirteen, already? It made Talia feel old. Not that she dared to voice it. She’d voiced it last year, when Kris had turned twelve, and been scolded by her parents. Not to mention Selenay and Daren, who were both older than she was by a good bit, as well.

So much had happened. She’d seen Elspeth happily married to a Hawk Brother named Darkwind. They’d made it through the Mage Storms safely, even though there had been so much change, with the return of real magic to Valdemar, and the return of the Herald Mage. Hardorn was under proper rule by King Tremain, who had taken a wife and fathered a son five years ago. And Kris had a baby sister, aged four, who had been named Agathe after Talia’s grandmother, who had not survived the Mage Storms. It had been the biggest loss Talia had suffered in that time.

The fact was that ever since the Mage Storms, Valdemar had seen a relatively long period of peace. There had been some trouble near the eastern border. Herald Mage Anda and his trainee Shandi had gone to help take care of it, with the help of a local lord.

Herald Mages. It all still seemed so strange to Talia. But Elspeth and Darkwind had taken to training the new Herald Mages, including reopening a special shielded room that had once been worked in by Herald Vanyel and others like him. It was the dreams of her earliest childhood come to life.

Things were changing among her blood-kin, as well. Keltev’s daughter Kala had, in fact, come to Haven with them, and no wonder she felt like a misfit. It turned out that she’d longed for music other than hymns and lullabies for sheep. She had the Bardic Gift, and wore her Scarlets with pride. And Talia kept in touch with her blood kin, now, even with Justus, on a regular basis. He had changed, and she was proud of him. And yes, like other Holderkin men, he had taken a few more wives. But Ravannah, his First Wife, had in fact been a Lifebond, and she remained his favorite. Even Ravannah wrote to her, but never with any complaint!

They had fetched a meal from Mero and his apprentice in the kitchens, enough for a celebratory birthday picnic, and met the rest of the family in Companions Field.

Family, of course, had stopped meaning just the standard familial relationships long ago. Aside from both sets of grandparents, the two honorary grandmothers, Keldar and Lenna, were there, as were Rolan, Ahrodie, and the unattached Companion Branwen, family by virtue of being the daughter of Rolan and Ahrodie.

And, of course, the adopted aunts, uncles, and cousins were in attendance. Selenay’s long blonde hair was not turning gray. It was only lightening with age. To Talia, it just wasn’t fair.

Elspeth leaned over and whispered something in Kris’s ear. “What was that about?” Talia asked.

“I promised him I’d tell him a secret as a birthday gift,” Elspeth said.

“And it was a big one!” Kris said.

“When do the rest of us get to hear it?” Lyra asked, jealous at not being the first to know what was going on.

Kris grinned. “Whenever Elspeth and Darkwind want to tell it. It’s their secret.”

“Their…?” Selenay asked. “Oh!”

Almost immediately, Selenay, Talia, Myste, Jayla, and Adlyn were surrounding Elspeth and gushing over her incoherently. Little Agathe, not wanting to be left out, followed her mama’s example.

“Why are our mothers and your grandmother being so weird, Kris?” Katriel asked.

“That’s what I want to know,” Lancir said. “What’s going on?”

“As confused as you young ones, we men are,” Alberich said.

“That’s because you adopted instead of Myste giving birth to Talia,” Keldar said. She and Lenna had chosen _not_ to smother Elspeth. “I don’t know what Daren’s excuse is.”

“You mean Elspeth’s pregnant?” Daren asked.

“That’s what she told me!” Kris said.

Dirk turned to Darkwind. “Congratulations. Fatherhood is amazing.”

“Thank you, Dirk,” Darkwind said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Dirk tilted his head, then, indicating that Ahrodie was speaking to him, and then he grinned. “Kris, son, Ahrodie just told me that there’s one more present for you, today, over by Branwen.”

Talia’s head whipped up as Kris, looking confused, went over to search for what the boy clearly assumed to be some trinket. And then she looked on with pride as her son fell into Branwen’s eyes the same way she’d fallen into Rolan’s.

***

It wasn’t a week later that there were two more Companions making their way to the palace, one to Choose Lancir, the other to Choose Lyra, almost exactly at the same time, ensuring that they would be Kris’s year mates.

Katriel looked on with just a little envy. “I wish a Companion would Choose me,” she said.

“One might,” Adlyn said. “Talia told me that Dirk was Chosen at your age, but some have been Chosen at quite a bit older. Talia was thirteen, and I was fifteen. And then there are Teren, Elcarth, Myste, and Alberich. They were all adults!”

“Yeah, but I have a crush on Lancir, and he’s not going to notice me if I’m not a Herald, too!”

Adlyn laughed. “Well, maybe he will in a few years. But the two of you are both very young yet. Don’t worry about things so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested, CalicoJane and I have started a Discord server dedicated to the Valdemar universe. Feel free to let me know and I'd be happy to get you an invite.


	18. Crushes

Alberich had worked with his grandson from the time the boy was old enough to hold a practice sword, and both Kerowyn and Jeri knew it. The result was that neither of them were going to go light on the boy.

For that matter, they weren’t exactly going to go light on the twins, either, as they’d had the benefit of growing up learning from both parents and their older sister. And seeing as how Daren had received the same training as Kero, Kero was not likely to let his children have any special treatment.

At the moment, though, Jeri was working with Lyra, and Kero with the second girl in their year, a pretty Holderkin girl from the local breakaway sect that Talia had helped to set up, letting Lancir and Kris talk to each other.

“So, how did it get decided that you’d take the position of Heir instead of Lyra?” Kris asked.

“Well, obviously it would have been a lot easier if Elspeth hadn’t decided to abdicate the position, herself,” Lan said. “But the simple fact is that I’m older by ten minutes. That’s what Mother, Father, Elspeth, your mother, and the official records all say.”

“Mama practically wept when you and Lyra were both Chosen,” Kris said. “She said she hates having to memorize all the lists and titles and everything in such a short amount of time, and she can’t just go back to when your sister was made Heir, because so many of the names that go with the titles have changed.”

“Yeah, but who’s going to help me come up with something personal when I greet everybody? When I got told I have to do that, Lyra laughed and said she was glad it wasn’t her, and that she just gets to be an ordinary Herald.”

“Ordinary? Lan, there’s nothing ordinary about the three of us by virtue of our parents. With everything my mother’s done, I’ve got a bit too much to live up to, myself.” Kris yelped, then, and jumped, as a dagger struck the fence right next to him.

“And live up to your mother’s reputation, you will not, if pay attention, you do not,” Alberich said. “Told me you were both slacking, Kero did. Swords, both of you. More discipline when she was five, your mother had, Kris, than you have now. And you, Lancir, Heir? Some Heir, whose sister works harder! Armor and blades, now!” The boys didn’t bother to argue. They did only as Alberich said.

***

“Elspeth! Help!”

Elspeth and Darkwind had just finished with the last of their Mage students and were finally starting to relax when Lyra’s voice echoed through the miniature vale they had created for themselves.

Elspeth extracted herself from what would have been a rather embarrassing position for Lyra to see them in just as the younger girl walked into the living area. “What is it, Lyra? What’s wrong?” What the hell? Now that just wasn’t fair. That _had_ to come from Daren’s side, because even _Lyra_ looked better in student grays than Elspeth ever had.

Lyra looked at her sister and brother-in-law. “You two have a lifebond, right?”

“Yes,” Elspeth said.

“How do you know when you have one?” Lyra pressed.

Well, that certainly explained why Lyra hadn’t taken this to Selenay and Daren. Selenay would probably have been fine discussing the matter, but Daren? Oh, no. Whatever boy was potentially involved would not come out of this well. “Well,” Elspeth said, “it took a while for us to acknowledge what was happening, but from the very start, we just sort of felt something.”

“I felt admittedly possessive of your sister from the time I first set eyes on her,” Darkwind said. “Sorry, but possessive is the closest word I can find in Valdemaran. Not ownership, but…” He thought, searching for the right word. “Ah, yes, I think incredibly aroused, more than any other female had caused, would be better.”

“I don’t want to know,” Lyra said. This was mortifying. Maybe she should have just gone to her parents?

“Who’s the lucky potential mate?” Elspeth asked, well aware that her baby sister didn’t _have_ to prefer boys. Lyra mumbled something, and Elspeth looked at her. “What was that?”

“Kris, alright? I know we grew up with him and there are plenty of boys who look a lot better and anything could happen, but I had a crush on him when we were little, and then I thought I was over it because I went through the boys are icky stage, and then I saw him and Lan going at it with swords and I got distracted and I wasn’t even ashamed of myself.”

Darkwind smiled. Elspeth giggled. “Sounds like a lifebond, alright. But don’t worry about it too much. You have plenty of time, and he might recognize it, himself, eventually,” she said.

***

“So what was that about?”

Kris looked at Lan, confused. “What was what about?”

“Don’t give me that. The look you were giving my sister earlier.”

The two of them were sitting at dinner. The twins took it in turn to act as cook’s helper, something Gaytha had arranged to keep her husband and his apprentice from having to suffer from _too_ much mischief. She had failed to take into consideration that she ought to find a way to separate Lan and Kris, as well, but it wasn’t as bad as twins who didn’t need to be able to Mindspeak each other to communicate silently.

Kris looked down at his potato, slathered with fresh butter. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Lan crossed his arms. “Malarky, Kris. You were _watching_ her during cool down exercises.”

Kris finally looked up. “Alright, I admit it. What do you want from me, Lan? I don’t know what came over me, but all of a sudden, I was thinking of her in much warmer than brotherly terms, and I don’t know why. And I can’t stop. I was planning to consult my parents about it later because I think it might be a lifebond, but I don’t know. I just know that I suddenly can’t imagine my life without her around and I think I might actually die if I thought, for one moment, that she disliked me. Please don’t hit me.”

“I’m not going to hurt you. Just… Just do me a favor and don’t kiss her in front of me? At least for a while? Because then I might have to hit you out of principal.”

“Well, I think that can be managed. I doubt she knows or cares how I feel.”


	19. A New Threat

They were having a celebration in Hardorn. It was a triple celebration. First, it was the anniversary of King Tremaine’s reign. Second, it was the anniversary of his marriage to his queen, a woman named Tiffany. Third, they were also celebrating the birthday of their son, Gerren.

The result was that Talia and Dirk were traveling to Hardorn, along with little Agathe, bearing gifts for all three occasions from Selenay and Daren. As they approached the border, though, Dirk could sense Talia tensing up.

“I know, _ashke._ Your last trip to Hardorn went…pretty badly…”

Pretty badly, of course, was a massive understatement. After all, the last time Talia had been in Hardorn…

She shook her head, trying so hard not to think about it. “I hate that I’m having this reaction. We…oh gods, Dirk, we never even got to bury him!”

“Is Mama sad?” Agathe asked.

“Yes, Agathe, Mama is very sad,” Talia said. “It’s been many years since we came to Hardorn, and last time bad things happened.”

“Oh. But not this time?” Agathe asked.

“No, not this time,” Talia assured her.

Dirk reached out and took Talia’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Talia had to give Tremaine credit for keeping the positive innovations that she had noted on her first trip to Hardorn, including the hostels. Not worrying about finding a place to stay in each town always made things easier. That first night, though, she surprised Dirk when she absolutely refused to eat any of the mushrooms.

“I thought you love mushrooms?”

“They have a type of mushroom here that makes Gifts go odd. I don’t remember what it looks like, so I’m being extra cautious. It’s perfectly harmless for someone without an active Gift. If I remember, correctly, it even has a decent flavor. But if you have an active Gift, it can wreak havoc with it.”

***

Tremaine and Tiffany had greeted them graciously, and they had presented the presents they had brought. But what brought a smile to all four adults was that Gerren and Agathe seemed to get along right away, and with parental permission, Gerren took his new friend to the royal nursery to play. It allowed the adults to sit and have a lovely dinner together while a separate dinner was sent to the nursery for the littles.

But that night, nothing could stop Talia from experiencing nightmares she thought she’d left off years ago, and she woke in the middle of the night, trembling in Dirk’s comforting arms. “I guess it’s just being back here,” she said.

“It’s alright, _ashke_.” Dirk held her close and let her cry. After all, their best friend had died here. She had been tortured here. Talia had no good memories of Hardorn, and being here had to be difficult for her, even with the change in rule and the new alliance.

That was when a door opened that neither of them had noticed before, and a woman entered, flames emanating from her hands. “Oh, but is it alright?” she asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, to short, but sometimes that's what happens. 
> 
> Pretty sure CalicoJane might kill me for the cliffhanger.


	20. Maya

“Who are you?”

The woman just smiled. “Nobody truly important, I suppose. Just a woman who was a child in Ancar’s court and followed Hulda everywhere. Ancar wasn’t the only one she was training, and your precious Elspeth wasn’t the only girl she found Mage potential in. But they’re dead, and soon Valdemar will collapse in my revenge for taking my mentor from me.”

By the end of the woman’s rant, Dirk had grown awake enough to Fetch his sword and Talia’s daggers, the later of which he tossed to his wife. Talia caught them in one fluid motion and lowered her shields. Over the years, she had finely honed her Gift, and she sent fear and a sense of alertness, the emotions of battle, to the guards, as well as in the direction of Tremaine and Tiffany. Tremaine, after all, was a Mage, himself, and could definitely help against this bitch.

The woman actually threw a ball of flame at Talia, catching her in the side. But to Talia, this was nothing compared to what Ancar and Hulda had done. She forced rapport upon the woman and made _her_ feel the pain as well, causing her to double over long enough for Dirk to tackle her and hold her to the ground at blade point.

At that point, the guards began coming in, and they pulled the woman up, chaining her. Tremaine followed close behind. “Get her into one of the shielded cells for Mages,” he said. “You, go bring my wife. She has a powerful Healing Gift, and it looks like Herald Talia could use it.” The guards immediately went about following Tremaine’s orders, and he turned to Dirk and Talia. “How bad is the wound?”

“I’ve had worse,” Talia gasped. She was pale and sweating.

Dirk was using one of his smaller knives to cut away Talia’s nightgown around the area of the wound. “I know, little bird. Just another scar, right?”

Talia smiled bravely. “Right.”

“I don’t think I could even speak through that kind of pain,” Tremaine admitted.

Tiffany came running in at that moment. “I’ve heard you Heralds have a knack for falling into danger and getting yourselves beat up, but I didn’t think I’d ever actually see it.”

“Talia, especially, I’m afraid,” Dirk said. “Healer Devan keeps complaining that we Heralds are either getting ourselves half-killed or making Healers speed-Heal us so we can go right back out and wreck ourselves again.”

“Again, especially me,” Talia joked, her breathing steadying as Tiffany invoked the pain blocks.

“Well, I am not going to speed Heal you,” Tiffany said. “It’s a good way to build up the toxins, and I know damned well you understand the dangers. It looks like you’re going to have to extend your stay for a few days. We’ll have a messenger send word to Selenay. You’re lucky that mage flame, when used in such close quarters, is generally meant to hit, burn, and dissipate. It could have been much worse.”

“You should see the mage burn on my chest,” Talia said.

Tiffany carefully examined the area. She applied a salve and wrapped it, then removed the pain blocks. “It wasn’t a direct hit. Her aim was bad. But it was still a hit. We’ll have her interrogated. Meanwhile, I’m going to leave this salve with you, and you should apply it and change the wrappings twice daily. You should be able to travel in three days if you do that, but at a leisurely pace.”

“We’ll interrogate that woman,” Tremaine said. “She’s not someone we’ve seen here in the palace before, but we’ll find out who she is and her plans. Whatever we manage to get, we’ll be happy to share with Valdemar.”

“Thank you,” Dirk said. “She said she planned to kill Elspeth, and something about Valdemar’s downfall. We’re not sure what she knows or think she knows, or what she might have planned, but anything you find out from her will be helpful.”

***

Talia couldn’t travel, but under pain block, she could go down to the dungeons with the others to help interrogate the woman who had attacked her and Dirk. As the only one who could enact second stage Truth Spell, Talia would do it right off. The bitch wouldn’t even get a chance to tell any lies.

Maya, her name was. “And what was so attractive about Hulda and Ancar?” Tremaine asked.

“Ancar fathered me on a maid that he tortured. Hulda was his lover. I wanted my father to love me, so I decided to be like Hulda.”

Tremaine pressed. “And how do you plan to cause Valdemar’s collapse?”

“Oh, isn’t it so simple?” Maya asked. “Kill Talia and they have no Queen’s Own to play regent. Kill the queen and they have none. Kill the queen’s children, and they have no Heir. No queen, no heir, no regent, and everything falls.”

“I don’t think she’s fully kept up with everything or knows how our government works,” Dirk said. “Or that much about Heralds, Companions, and how fast we’d have a new Monarch’s Own, for that matter.”

“Or that Alberich is more than capable of stepping in,” Talia added. “He’s done it before.” She turned to Maya. “How did you plan to kill the others?”

“I met up with someone else who wants to see things crumble,” Maya said. “He kept hooded, wouldn’t give me a name, but he’s just waiting for me to meet up with him. If I’m not there within another month, he’ll go ahead and start his part without me. I was to start everything by killing Talia during her visit here. He’ll start by killing the queen.”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Dirk said. “Talia, my love, would you take it amiss if I go ahead to warn them, since Tiffany doesn’t want you riding at Rolan’s fastest pace?”

“Go, dearest, at first light. The Kingdom is at stake. I’m in good hands with Tremaine and Tiffany. Agathe and I will follow when Tiffany says I can travel.”


	21. Nightblade

When Dirk arrived home without Talia and Agathe, everyone went into an immediate panic that perhaps there had been yet another betrayal in Hardorn. Had Tremaine, a skilled Mage, blocked the Death Bell from ringing for Talia, just as Ancar had kept it from happening for Kris?

Dirk answered questions rapidly from Alberich, Myste, and Selenay before anyone else met him. No, Tremaine and Tiffany hadn’t betrayed them. Yes, Talia was fine. In fact, she and Tiffany had developed a friendship already and Talia was sure Selenay would like her. Yes, Agathe was fine. Agathe had made friends with Prince Gerren. But yes, there was danger, and Dirk explained the dangerous legacy Hulda had left behind in Maya.

“So, Talia just stayed behind to heal from the burn and gather more information,” Selenay said.

“And we agreed that Agathe could have more play time with her new friend this way,” Dirk said.

Myste took Dirk by the elbow. “You know the drill. My office. Now.”

Alberich laughed as Myste dragged Dirk away. “Retire, she never will,” he said to Selenay.

“It’s part of what’s always made the two of you a good match. I made a good decision, all those years ago, making you responsible for Talia.”

Alberich found he couldn’t argue with her. Being Talia’s father had been incredibly good for him, and his daughter and now his grandchildren gave him a reason to smile every day. The smile was still on his face when the unseen assassin managed to get even to him, the dark black blade sinking into his chest.

***

Talia and Agathe had left three days later, after Tiffany had given her the okay to travel. But unlike Dirk, they were traveling at an easier pace, both because Talia was, technically, still healing, and because Agathe couldn’t handle, quite yet, Rolan’s ground devouring pace at top speed.

The result was that when the death bell tolled in Haven, Talia and Agathe were just inside Valdemar’s border. They were deep asleep when it happened, but Talia still sat bolt upright, tears streaming down her face, the guttural scream at the loss of her father stuck in her throat. She began to hyperventilate, and she threw herself down on the bed next to Agathe and sobbed.

Agathe woke up. “Mama? What’s wrong?”

“Agathe, baby, something terrible just happened. You know Mama can tell what others are feeling, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“And do you remember last year, when one of the older Heralds died, and the death bell rang, and all of the other Heralds knew who it was, and what had happened, immediately?”

“I ‘member.”

“Well, we don’t have to be in Haven. I just woke up because I felt the death of another Herald, baby, and unlike the Herald who died last year, because he was old, and just died in his sleep, this one was murdered. Do you know what that means?”

Agathe shook her head. “Nuh-uh.”

“It means someone killed him. They wanted him dead so they made him die by putting a knife in his chest.”

“Oh…”

Talia hugged her daughter closer. “It gets worse, baby. It was your grandpa.”

That started Agathe crying for her grandfather, and Talia held her. For her own comfort, she reached out to Rolan, who sent back images of love. They were just falling back to sleep when Talia realized that, because she would have to stop more often for Agathe and because Agathe couldn’t sleep in the saddle, she would most likely miss her father’s funeral. And it just made her heart break all over again.

***

Dirk and Kris were waiting for them when they arrived. Kris took his baby sister, and Dirk took his wife. Skif, standing behind them, took care of the bags and of Rolan, knowing his friend wouldn’t be in any kind of state to handle it. Talia, grateful, slumped into Dirk’s arms and cried.

“I’m sorry, little bird. I’m so sorry. Your mother isn’t doing well, either.” The fact was that Myste hadn’t written a single thing or done a single bit of research in the two weeks since Alberich’s murder.

“Where’s his grave?” Talia asked. “I need…” Her voice became squeaky at that point, but Dirk understood. In the faith of Vkandis, a person was cremated when they died, their ashes placed in an urn, and the urn buried beneath a plaque. There was a hierarchy. There was a large vault beneath the temple for most people. But priests were buried beneath the altar, and Alberich, as the father of a Sunpriest, had the right to be buried in a special area of the garden.

Together, the family walked to the temple of the Lord of Light. Gerichen, the local priest and one of Alberich’s oldest friends here in Valdemar, was sitting on a bench there. He rose, and he and Talia embraced as he led her over to the plaque in the garden under which Alberich’s ashes lay. Talia knelt there, sobbing. Dirk, Kris, and Agathe joined her there, and Agathe picked a flower from nearby and put it on the plaque with her grandfather’s name. “Bye-bye, Grandpa.”

***

Later, when Kris was back in class and Agathe was down for a nap, Talia turned to Dirk. “Has the bastard who killed him been caught, yet?”

“No. Whoever did it was a Mage. They’re sure of that much. Elspeth and Darkwind found the weapon. Darkwind called it a Nightblade. It’s something that hadn’t been heard of since Vanyel’s time. But it takes a Blood Mage to make one, apparently.”

“Obviously, whoever did this was Maya’s unnamed contact. Bastard must have taken a page out of Orthallen’s book of strategies.”

“I don’t know who this Orthallen is, but I thought you ought to know that Her Radiance will be here tomorrow. She wishes to bring her condolences personally. At least, that’s the word I’ve had from Hansa, who is traveling with her.”

Talia looked towards the new voice at the large cat that had appeared. “Hello, Altra. If you’re here, can Karal be far behind?”

“Usually not, but he’s wanting some _private time_ with Natalie. While I still grant him sight when he needs it, there are some things I am most definitely _not_ needed for.” Altra leapt up into Talia’s lap, practically smothering her. “So, since Rolan can’t make his way up the stairs, I came to offer myself up for some much-needed cuddling and comfort for you.”

Talia didn’t question it. Her heart hurt too much. She lay back against Dirk and cuddled Altra, taking what was offered because Altra was right. She _did_ need it.


	22. From Tears to Laughter

“Mama, what happened?” Talia had learned from Myste to always seek answers. Now she sought them.

Myste’s eyes were still red. The only thing to be grateful for was that the love between them had not been a full-fledged lifebond. It might have destroyed her. “I was working late into the night. It must have been close to midnight before I came to bed. Your father was already asleep. You know he’s been tiring more easily lately in his older age. And then I saw it. Just the slightest glint in the candlelight. I screamed. Your father woke up. He was almost completely stood up to ascertain the threat when the black blade sank into his chest.”

“Elspeth called it a Nightblade?”

“I’ve done no actual work over the past two weeks, Talia. But I’ve delved deep into the archives. These things haven’t been seen since Vanyel’s time. Only Mages can keep them from reaching the heart, and they have to get there within minutes. Oh, gods, Talia, the death is a slow and painful one…”

Talia felt her heart break all over again, and she embraced her mother. She stayed there until she was forced to leave for court and Council. Selenay met her there and just hugged her tightly. “Elspeth can sit in for you if you need her to,” she said. “You are absolutely free to take as much time as you need to mourn.”

“No,” Talia said softly. “I need to stay busy. Dirk is already back to teaching. Kris is back in classes. I can’t pour out my heart to Agathe. She’s too young. It’s better to stay busy for now. And Solaris should be here, after the Council meeting, with her own condolences.”

***

Solaris and Hansa arrived precisely at midday. Little Agathe, awed by Solaris’s appearance, hid behind Talia’s skirts as the two women greeted each other with a warm embrace, Talia switching to Karsite. “Welcome, Radiance. Your presence honors me.”

“Your father was a true son of two lands,” Solaris said. “I don’t believe that I have met the young one who hides behind you.”

Talia reached down and picked up her daughter, switching back to Valdamaran for the girl’s sake. “Your Radiance, let me introduce Agathe. Agathe, this is Her Radiance, Solaris, the Son of the Sun. And this is her Firecat, Hansa.”

“Kitty!” Agathe cried, reaching out to pet him.

 _:Really? Kitty? I am a Firecat, not some pet…oh, alright, that does feel good…:_ Hansa began to purr, then, as Agathe pet and scritched him as gently as she did Rolan or Ahrodie, having been taught both here in Haven and on trips to see her grandparents on the farm to treat animals nicely.

“Sweet kitty,” Agathe said, hugging Hansa as she realized that, like Altra, he was as big or bigger than she was.

***

Lyra had never felt more disturbed in her young life. Was she _supposed_ to know what had gone on in her bed at the Collegium when it had been used by previous occupants? She apparently had Herald Destria’s old room, and the bed had most definitely seen more than its fair share of nocturnal activities.

She needed to talk to someone, now, and she made her way into the Heralds’ Wing of the palace. She knew the way to her destination well, as she and Kris had treaded it often as children, both because of their friendship with Kris and because Talia and Dirk were practically a second set of parents. She hated disturbing them in the middle of the night, but she needed answers, and the best thing she could think of was to consult a Gifts teacher.

It was Talia who answered the door. “Lyra, what’s wrong? I can sense your distress.”

“I’m sorry, Talia. I know you have your own problems right now, and your own distress. Actually, it’s Dirk I need to see, please.”

Talia didn’t question Lyra’s request. She would be awake to learn the reason, anyway, and she went into the bedroom to awaken her husband. “Dirk, my love, Lyra seems to be having issues and needs to see you. I suspect her Gift may be trying to wake up if she instinctively sought out a Gifts teacher.”

Dirk nodded and yawned, stretching as he sat up. He greeted Lyra as he entered the sitting area. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I came here because what I just experienced was really strange,” Lyra said. “I think my Gift might be waking up, but I experienced something that I don’t feel like I can talk to my parents about…”

Dirk arched an eyebrow. “Er… If you’re needing the sex talk, you should have stuck with Talia…”

Lyra turned bright red. “No! I mean, yes, but no! Not really. I don’t quite have those urges yet. But I was lying in bed, and I don’t know if I’m going insane and hallucinating, or if my Gift is waking up, but I don’t know what it might be that I’m seeing images of Herald Destria being involved in her own activities…”

Dirk and Talia both laughed. Dirk shook his head. “You’re not going insane or hallucinating, Lyra. As Talia can tell you, Herald Destria does rather enjoy her hedonism, so likely, you did, in fact, see it, if the Gift you have is what I think it is. Lyra, it sounds like your Gift is Touch Reading.”

“Touch Reading?” Lyra asked. “I don’t think I know it.”

“It’s not one of the more common ones. The most recent before you would be Herald Mical. He was a trainee just after the Tedrel Wars and used it to help find a traitor. He actually got his Whites about the time I was arriving at the Collegium. From what I understand, you can use it to get the thoughts and emotions of the owner or most recent holder of an object at the time that they were interacting with that object. It’s the Heraldic Gift closest to Empathy.”

“I’m not surprised you experienced Destria’s thoughts and emotions,” Talia said. “While many trainees have had their share of encounters, including in that room, Destria is certainly the most infamous in recent years.”

“I think it may have been my mother’s room when she was at the Collegium, too,” Lyra said.

“Why do you say that?” Talia asked.

“Because, and this is why I don’t think I can face her right now, I saw similar images of her and Herald Eldan!”

This had Talia and Dirk laughing so hard that it actually woke little Agathe, who came in and looked at her parents and Lyra. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“It’s something you won’t understand until you’re older, dear heart,” Talia said, though the look on Dirk’s face said that if he had anything to say about the matter, his little girl would _never_ have a reason to understand the joke, inevitable though it might be.

“Why’s Lyra here?” Agathe asked.

“Lyra needed some advice, and we were closer than her parents,” Dirk said.

“Oh, okay!” Agathe went back to bed, then, leaving Lyra and the adults to continue talking.

“You said it’s the Heraldic Gift closest to Empathy,” Lyra said, “but Talia has Empathy as her only Gift, so isn’t it a Heraldic Gift?”

“I was repeatedly informed during my time in Grays and during my internship,” Talia said, “that I am the only Herald in history known to have Empath as their only Gift. It is still known generally as a Healer’s Gift.”

Lyra nodded in understanding. “But my Gift is related to yours, so does that mean you’ll be my Gift teacher?”

“I’ve honestly never taught before,” Talia admitted. “But considering your room, let’s at least get you started on shielding.”


	23. Gifts

Katriel was working on self-defense with her grand-aunt. Kero had insisted that, even if the girl wasn’t Chosen, she should at least learn some basic self-defense and, maybe, some hand-to-hand combat. Truth be told, at her age, Kero was ready to pass on the captaincy of the Lightning Bolts to someone younger. And while Kat was certainly not ready for _that_ kind of responsibility, Kero was sure that Kat would make one heck of a merc, and was more than ready to recommend her to the Bolts if Kat should decide she would like to take that path.

But that was when a Companion decided to come trotting up to the salle. Kero looked up, but the Companion ignored her, instead focusing on Katriel. _:It’s about time you got old enough. I’ve just been waiting for you, Katriel, sister of my heart. I am Vixen, and I Choose you.:_

Kero knew that look. She’d seen enough Choosings since her own. Kat was enamored with her Companion, right now, the two could spend the rest of the day bonding, as far as Kero was concerned. “Well, what’s her name? Your mother’s going to want to know.”

“Vixen,” Kat said. And then she went right back to paying attention to her Companion.

Kero just nodded and walked off to tell Adlyn. 

***

Talia was not above informing Selenay and Daren that their daughter’s Gift had awakened, and just what it happened to be. Nor was she above informing Selenay, privately, that the poor thing had been somewhat traumatized by the _how_ and _when_ of its awakening.

“Oh, poor thing! I’d forgotten that had been my room at the Collegium.” Selenay was laughing. “Did you get her shielded?”

“I did. Grounding and centering should be easy. Once that’s done, I can take on some of the more…delicate…parts of her Gift, but I might need Herald Mical’s help, since he’s the last known to actually have it.”

Selenay pursed her lips. “Mical’s a good fighter, and a good field Herald, but not much of a teacher. He can be…abrupt.”

Talia thought about the other Herald for a moment. She realized that she rarely, if ever, saw him. He was in residence long enough to let his Companion get some rest, and then back on the road again for another circuit ride. “You’re right,” she said at last. “I’ll contact him for advice if I have to, but I’ll train her, myself. Actually, as the Gifts are related, she might also have a touch of Empathy. I can definitely help her with that if that’s the case.”

“I think you’ll be a good teacher, too,” Selenay said. “You did fine with Shandi.”

“Shandi was easy. She already had the majority of what she needed, including how to ground and center, from her regular Gifts teacher since her Foresight is stronger. The majority of my work with her was on the ethics of her Empathy, since that was the hardest thing I had to figure out.”

It was at this point that Teren poked his head in. “Two newly Chosen in one day. We know Kat. She was Chosen by the Companion Vixen. But the other one is a little younger. And he said that he has to see Talia first, that he has a letter for her from his father.”

“Go ahead and bring him in,” Selenay said.

Teren nodded and brought in a boy, aged about ten, and Talia recognized him immediately as one of Keltev’s sons. She gave a wan smile. “Something tells me your father is not happy with me at the moment.”

Florus smiled back. “When Eleri came for me, Father made me stay back long enough for him to write a letter to you so that I could deliver it.” He held the letter out, and Talia took it.

“Well,” Talia said, scanning over the letter’s contents, “he doesn’t seem too angry. She handed it to Selenay, who chuckled as she read it.

“I agree.” The queen turned to the young Holderkin boy. “Well, welcome to Haven and to the Collegium. Don’t worry. You’re in good hands with Teren.”

“Come along, Florus,” Teren said. “Let’s get you a class schedule and get you to Housekeeper Gaytha so that you can have chores assigned and get you some uniforms.”

“Meanwhile, Selenay,” Talia said, “you and I had better head to Council.”

“Yes, but how many more of Keltev’s children are you planning to corrupt, as he puts it?” Selenay asked, her eyes still dancing with barely contained laughter.

Talia just smiled and shook her head. “I don’t even actually do a thing to corrupt them. I just exist. His children know I exist and who I technically am to them by blood, and apparently, some of them end up like me. I haven’t even stolen away half his brood, yet.”

“A quarter?”

“Maybe a tenth, if that? Holderkin men have multiple wives and very, _very_ large broods of children.” Talia gave a slightly feral smile. “I’m just waiting for the day we get to claim one of Justus’s children.”

“You really are vicious, you know that?”

“Selenay, if I weren’t so vicious, I wouldn’t be able to hold my own in Council.”

Selenay laughed. “I’m glad you’re on Valdemar’s side, and mine.”

***

Kris had to be Kris. He just had to be. Not that he wasn’t himself. It was just, Talia was bordering on positive that her son was her friend and mentor reincarnated. How else was it to be explained that he had Farsight, just like his namesake? But then, he also had Empathy. Why? Absolutely the last thing she wanted in the world was for her son to have Empathy as a Gift. But at least, unlike her own, it was a secondary Gift!

And she could train him alongside Lyra. And Elspeth could help him with his Farsight, just as Shandi, temporarily in residence, was also helping Lyra with her third Gift, a minor Gift of Foresight.

And then there was Lancir. Dirk taught him to use his Fetching Gift, even as he learned control of his Mindspeech from Eldan.

The fact was that Talia’s days seemed to be never ending, when all she wanted to do was find and kill her father’s assassin. But what could she do? But then she remembered something that her mother had told her. Elsepth and Darkwind had managed to contain the Nightblade. With their help, and after being trained, perhaps Lyra could read it and find the identity of the person who threw it?


	24. A Dark and Stormy Night

Keldar was the next victim of the assassin. Talia requested that she be buried next to Elcarth, who had died a few years prior, as it had become evident that the two of them had a romance. They likely would have married if there had been just the least bit of encouragement. “First she eyes Jadus, and then Elcarth,” Talia said. “But she definitely was in love with Elcarth. She mourned him.”

The clouds started to gather later that evening. And then it became a full-fledged thunderstorm. Agathe was crying because she couldn’t play outside or go on an after-dinner ride with her parents, and Talia soothed her with some harp song as they sat by the fireplace. Eventually, Talia put her to bed. She was heading back out to the main room when she heard a yelp of surprise from Dirk.

“What is it?”

“That lightning. It behaved so strangely. It was headed right towards the palace, and then arched back away.”

“Odd…”

Minutes later, because somehow all of the weird things seemed to somehow end up at their door, there was a knock, and they opened it to find Katriel. “I hate to disturb you, but Lyra said you helped her identify _her_ Gift when something strange happened to her, and something really odd just happened to me.”

“Weirder than lightning arcing away from its initial target?” Dirk asked.

“No,” Kat said, shaking her head, “because that was me. At least, I _think_ that was me. It was coming right at me. I could feel the heat. My hairs all stood on end. And then I held out my hands to stop it, even though I knew that I couldn’t stop it, but I just really wanted it to go away, and it _did._ ”

Talia and Dirk looked at each other. Neither of them had ever heard of such a thing. “I think,” Talia said, “that sounds like something to ask Elspeth and Darkwind about, or perhaps Trayvan and Hydona. It sounds a lot like Mage Gift.”

“I agree,” Dirk said.

“I guess I’ll go talk to Trayvan and Hydona in the morning,” Kat said. “Elspeth is getting close to time to give birth. Real close. And besides, I like Rris. He’s fun.”

***

Kat was right, of course. Elspeth _was_ close. So close, in fact, that she was actually in the middle of labor when the storm had started. The new little one had made her grand entrance at the same time that Kat had her experience with the lightning bolt, something Elspeth had seen from the miniature vale she and Darkwind lived in.

That flash of lightning inspired the baby’s name. Sterope in Valdemaran. Lightningflash in Tayledras. Elspeth had made the decision and would not by naysaid, and Darkwind wasn’t about to disagree with his wife on the matter.

Because of her position as Queen’s Own, Talia was not allowed to sleep. Once Darkwind had been informed of proper protocol on the matter, he had come to inform her, and she had congratulated him and gotten dressed in full Whites.

“Now what?” Dirk asked.

“Elspeth has had her baby, so now I have to go inform the Queen, just like I had to inform her when first Elspeth and then the twins were Chosen.” Talia yawned. “Why do these things always happen in the middle of the night?”

Dirk chuckled. “Would you really have your life any other way, though?”

Talia kissed him. “Not so long as I have you, my love. You and Rolan together make everything worth it.” She made her way down the stairs, then, through the halls of Heralds Wing, and into the main part of the palace, to the royal apartments. Her position meant she was the only one allowed to disturb Selenay and Daren at night for any reason other than a life-or-death emergency. _She_ always had access, allowed to deem for herself what was important enough or not.

The guards had known her for so long that they knew she would never abuse this privilege. They gave her a questioning look, of course, out of natural curiosity. She gave them a quick smile and a wink to let them know it was good news, but more than that, she could not tell them. They would have to wait for the official announcement, just like everyone else. Despite their disappointment at not getting anything more than that, they let her in, as was their duty.

Surprisingly, though it was now past midnight, the two were still awake. Or, considering what Talia knew a lifebond could do for and to a couple, especially in the bedroom, perhaps that wasn’t so surprising. After all, Talia and Dirk would probably be at it, themselves, if first Kat and then Darkwind hadn’t disturbed them. And oh, how she hated disturbing them as she accidentally walked in on them in the sitting room. All she did was give a little yelp and turn to face away from them.

Selenay and Daren immediately sat up and covered themselves as fast as they could. “And that,” Selenay said, “is why we really should keep these activities to the bedroom.”

“I knew you said she could come in at _any_ point, but I thought she’d at least knock first!” Daren exclaimed.

Selenay laughed. “It’s safe now, Talia. You can turn around.”

Talia turned to face them. As experienced as she was after years of marriage, she still colored red because of what she’d just seen, even as she idly wondered if she could get Dirk to try it. “I put on clean Whites for the sake of protocol, you know. The least the two of you could do is go beyond just pulling a blanket over the two of you.”

“Forget protocol,” Selenay said. “There’s obviously nobody else here. What is it?”

“Well, with Heralds, you never know,” Talia said with a wink. “And besides, positions considered, I couldn’t be certain if there were members of Council here. That being said, I think the two of you will be most pleased to learn that Elspeth has given birth to a daughter named Sterope.”

“I’m surprised the kid didn’t get a Tayledras name,” Daren said.

“According to Darkwind, Sterope is the baby’s use name in the Valdemaran tongue. It’s actually Lightningflash. Elspeth chose it,” Talia said.

“Well, either way, I think it’s a lovely name,” Selenay said. “I can’t wait to meet my new granddaughter.”

“I’d wait until morning,” Talia said. “You and I both know how tiring childbirth can be, and Sterope didn’t exactly get her name for no reason.”

“Fair enough,” Daren said.

Talia eyed him. She didn’t need her Empathy to know that Daren would very much like her gone. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.” As she turned to leave, she said one more thing over her shoulder. “And Selenay? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She laughed as she darted out the door, closing it just in time for the blanket to miss her.

“What did that mean?” Daren asked. “What wouldn’t she do?”

Selenay just laughed as loud as her Herald had. “Not a damn thing.”


	25. Gift Training

“You’re not My Lady’s first owner.”

“No, I’m not. Very good, Lyra. What else can you learn about her?”

Lyra closed her eyes and ran her hands gently over the harp’s surface. “The former owner was a man, and you were close to him. He was another Herald.”

“That’s right,” Talia said. “His name was Herald Jadus. He was a friend of my father’s and he was my music teacher. He died while I was still a trainee. Do you feel up to something harder?”

“Sure.”

Talia smiled. Lyra’s Touch Reading training was coming along quite well, and Talia had been right. Lyra did have a touch of Empathy, something she was teaching both her and Kris to control. She really wanted to take Lyra to try Reading the Night Blade that Elsepth and Darkwind were keeping for when Lyra was ready. But she knew better.

Instead, she handed Lyra another small object. “Now tell me about that.”

“There’s both joy and sadness associated with this. You got this from the friend that you and Dirk named Kris after, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. It was my first ever birthing day present.”

“Come on, Talia. Give me a challenge.”

“I’m holding back the biggest challenge for when you’re stronger.”

Lyra looked up at her. “You mean the Night Blade? Talia, I want to try it. Everyone’s up in arms about the assassinations, lately, and if I can help, I want to.”

Talia was tempted. Oh, was Talia tempted. But it was unethical. “Lyra, I’m going to admit I’m not sure what the proper way to train someone with Touch Reading as a Gift is, only that it’s related to Empathy. I’ll tell you what. I don’t want you to potentially harm yourself while I wait for an answer from Herald Mical, who I fear I need some advice from on the matter. But I don’t want to stall your training, either. That’s why I haven’t pushed you. Let’s find something not as dangerous, but still harder.”

“Speaking of Empathy, I do have a touch of that. When are we going to study that?”

“Well, since Kris has it, as well, as soon as he gets here.” Talia didn’t fail to miss the quickly shielded glint of joy in Lyra’s eyes at the mention of Kris’s name.

The sound of footsteps running up the stairs told them both that Kris was on his way and knew that he was running late. “Sorry, Mom!” He slid onto the cushion next to Lyra.

She wrinkled up her nose. “Havens, Kris! Couldn’t you at least find time to change after Weapons class?”

Kris turned red. “Weapons, yes. But then I realized I left something at the salle, and I had to run back to get it, and on the way back, I accidentally stepped in some manure and slid a little.”

As he spoke, Talia deftly reached out and pulled the pillow out from beneath him, leaving him on the floor. Kris yelped. “Mom?”

“I know too well how bad manure stinks, and how bad it sticks to Grays, as well as skin, hair, and everything else. You are _not_ getting it on my favorite cushion,” Talia said. “Now, as I learned the hard way, the most important thing to consider about the Gift of Empathy is the ethics. Not only can you use the Gift to read the emotions of others, you can also project your own emotions onto others.”

“What do you mean the hard way?” Lyra asked.

“When I was on internship, I’d been struggling to decide the ethics of using Empathy. After all, I was the first known Herald to have Empathy as their only Gift.” Talia said, “I had to judge a murder trial. A trader had been accused of killing a girl. After a great deal of questioning, I learned that the girl’s true killer was her step-father, who had also been raping her and her sister. Part of the judgement meant deciding on his sentence. I drew him into a forced rapport, and I made him feel everything his step-daughters had felt from him, from their perspective, leaving him locked in the horrors of his own mind.”

Kris and Lyra both shuddered. Kris had not known his mother was capable of anything so brutal. “Do you ever regret it?” Kris asked.

“Not one bit,” Talia said. “Kris, you know how sweet and gentle and shy your father is?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell me he’s capable of something that brutal. I’d never believe you,” Kris said.

“Oh, he’s quite capable. Your namesake, who was my internship counselor, once informed me that he’d seen your father slit a man’s throat in cold blood,” Talia said. She looked at both of the trainees before her. “Kris, Lyra, you’re both the children of Heralds, but Lyra, your parents rule this kingdom, and Kris, your father and I have positions that generally keep us out of the field. I don’t think either of you have really ever understood what it means to be a Herald.”

“Maybe not,” Lyra admitted. “Mother and Father told us that they met in the middle of battle, but they never give us much in the way of details.”

“Being a Herald,” Talia said, “means being willing and able to fight, to take a life, and yes, even to die to defend Valdemar. But there are worse things than death, younglings. There is torture.” Her eyes took on a haunted look as she continued speaking. “Torture is something nobody can truly prepare you for. You never know what techniques will be used on you. Bone breaking. Burning. Cutting. Whipping. Beating. Magical injuries. And for women, yes, even rape is a possibility. I’ve experienced it all in the course of a single mission. And while occasionally you will get that would-be tyrant who simply enjoys the act of torturing someone else, that absolute sadist, as I encountered, usually it’s to get information. And now, I’m going to tell you the same thing my father told me. You _will_ break. You should hold off as long as you can, but you will eventually break. When you do, the best thing you can do is to lie. Lie so often and so creatively that when you do eventually tell the truth, your enemy will not believe it.”

There was a long moment of silence. Kris and Lyra both looked horrified, as Talia fought down all those old memories. Eventually, Lyra broke it. “What were the ethics of your Gift, then?”

“I weaponized it against the guards who were raping me,” Talia said. “I was too weak to keep them away for good, but it got me a short reprieve. I was too weak to use it again after that. I didn’t have the strength to use it in any way shape or form again until after Dirk rescued me, and then it was just enough to let him know how much I love him.”

“That definitely sounds like an ethical use,” Lyra said.

Talia nodded. “It’s not always easy, like, say, for Thought Sensers. Thought Sensers have a basic rule that you don’t read another person’s thoughts without their permission. Reading of another emotions is the same. You don’t do it without another’s permission. But, there’s always an exception to the rule, and that exception is this: unless you have a damned good reason, and that reason should always be in Valdemar’s best interests, such as helping to uncover a plot. And even then, you’d better have evidence to back you up, and not everyone will be readable. I was completely unable to read one of the biggest traitors in recent history.”

“What about when to weaponize it?” Kris asked.

“I decided that the best time to weaponize it is when I would normally use another weapon, if I had it, in defense of myself or of others. Would I use a bow if it were appropriate? A blade? Am I defending myself or someone else from an attack? If the answer is yes, it’s okay to weaponize your Empathy and force them into rapport. And remember, you can also use it to Heal, like Rynee does. I’ve used mine for the purposes of Mind Healing more than once.”

“Mother says you read everyone’s emotions in Council,” Lyra said.

Talia nodded. “That is another exception, yes. I have a full vote on the Council. I view it as no different than reading facial expressions or body language. I have to know where alliances are forming, who’s scheming with whom, and over what. Healer Myriam has been on the Council longer than I have, representing Healer’s Collegium. I wouldn’t be surprised if she retires soon and is replaced, likely by Healer Devan. Both have Healer’s Empathy, and I guarantee that Myriam is doing the same thing I do. The difference is that I have to be able to advise Selenay, before, during, and after Council sessions. Now, I have an assignment for the two of you. I want the two of you to find a safe place, with plenty of quiet, and practice reading each other.”


	26. Love is in the Air

Whether Talia knew the assignment would lead to this point or not, Kris and Lyra had found themselves in the salle in the evening after the last class of the day for their practice. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, they discovered how each felt about the other over the course of it. This led to Kris kissing Lyra. Kissing led to them finding a spot behind one of the benches.

They were only half-dressed when Daren walked in to meet Kero for some arms practice. That was how he found them, and part of him wanted to scream at Kris for seducing his baby girl. Part of him wanted to scream at Lyra for letting it happen. All he managed to get out was “What the hell?!?” before he turned and walked out to find Kero.

“Daren?” Kero asked. “You alright?”

“No, I’m not alright. I’m feeling old. My baby girl is too young for what I just saw her doing. How could Kris seduce her? They’re only fifteen!”

Kero laughed. “Daren, need I remind you of what you and I were doing at fifteen?”

“Yes, but that was us! That was before I was a father!”

Kero only doubled over, laughing even harder. “I’m sorry, Daren, I don’t think I can concentrate on arms practice after this.”

Daren sighed and walked back to the palace to find his wife.

“That was fast,” Selenay said. “Did Kero beat you that soundly that soon?”

Daren sat. “We never got to arms practice. She was too busy laughing at me.”

“Why?”

“Because I feel old and was throwing a fit because I caught our daughter being seduced by Talia’s son.”

Selenay tilted her head. “Kris and Lyra? Are you sure?”

“Very. And I might kill the boy. Our sweet girl is too young…”

“Mmmhmm… And would you be saying the same if you found Lancir kissing a girl? That he’s too young? Because if I remember correctly, I seem to recall that you were admittedly active with a certain Weapons Mistress at fifteen.”

“What’s any of that got to do with Kris and Lyra?” Daren asked.

Selenay just looked at him. “And guess what I was doing at fifteen?”

“Studying to become a Herald and learning to rule at your father’s side?”

“Both of those, yes, but also getting rather cozy with Eldan. And if rumors have any basis in fact, Talia was at it with Skif when _she_ was fifteen.”

“Okay, to be fair,” Daren said, “wasn’t Talia considered ready for marriage by her own people at thirteen?”

“Don’t change the subject. The fact is that what Kris and Lyra are doing is quite normal, so you might as well accept it. And I don’t think that’s what’s actually bothering you, anyway.”

“It’s making me feel old,” Daren admitted.

“You realize that implies that I’m old, right?” Selenay sighed. “And we are getting older. Daren, I know. Time seems to be flying, lately. Our children are getting older. It seems just yesterday that they started their Gift training. Hell, it seems just yesterday that Elspeth was Chosen, but the fact is that our granddaughter is closing in on going from baby to toddler!”

“I guess you’re right,” Daren said. “It’s still disturbing, though.”

***

Talia had just finished putting Agathe to bed when she heard Dirk laughing. “What is it?”

“I just got a message from Ahrodie. According to Jaysen, Daren’s rather disturbed.”

“It can’t be worse than the time I walked in on him and Selenay.”

“It is.” Dirk grinned. “Daren walked in on Kris and Lyra.” He tilted his head, then, listening. “Alright. Ahrodie says she’s getting the rest of the story from Branwen and Adair. Apparently, this is somehow your fault, as this started as a result of a practice exercise you gave them.”

“Oh dear. I did tell them to practice sending and receiving emotions now that they’ve gotten to the point of being able to control their ability to project.”

“Talia…”

“Alright, so maybe I _might_ have seen a spark between them and decided to test a theory.”

Dirk scooped his wife up and carried her to the bedroom. “You, my darling, have been spending too much time around Selenay. You’re a hopeless romantic.”

Talia laughed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. And as if you’re not.”

“True.”

***

In Kris’s room in the Collegium, he and Lyra laughed nervously. “I can’t believe we just got caught,” Kris said.

“I don’t even care,” Lyra said. “If Father gets too upset, Mother will set him straight.” She kissed Kris then, and soon enough, they were right back to where they were before Daren had walked into the salle.


	27. Touch Reading

The room surrounding the node stone under the palace was crowded with two gryphons, two Adepts, one apprentice Herald-Mage trainee, one Queen’s Own, one Touch-Reader trainee, and a Kyree.

But all of the Mages, Gryphons included, were needed to help keep the Night Blade from attacking anyone else. Talia was there to oversee Lyra. Kat was there both to learn and to add her own power as needed. Rris was there to watch and memorize everything, for they had learned early on that Rris could easily witness something and then report everything, down to the finest detail, to Myste, relieving other witnesses from her relentless questioning, as she had delved headfirst into her work to distract her from the loss of her husband, leaving Talia simply glad that her parents had not had a lifebond.

Lyra gripped the handle lightly, closed her eyes, and concentrated. “I see a man,” she said. “He’s filled with hatred. He hates… He hates the Heralds in general. But he hates Talia and Elspeth in particular. He…Oh…gods… I think I’m going to be sick…” She broke contact, then, and was escorted over to the couch at the side of the room. A bucket was rushed over, and she threw up into it.

Talia sat next to Lyra, rubbing the girl’s back. “It’s alright. Take the time you need to calm down before you tell us what you saw.”

Darkwind left the room and came back with some water and bread, which he gave to Lyra. “I know it is not the same, but this helped Elspeth when she was having morning sickness wile pregnant with Sterope. I am told it can help settle any uneasy stomach.”

“Ginger, too,” Talia said. “Mama always gave me ginger tea when I was sick.”

“I remember when I killed Orthallen,” Elspeth said. “I had a similar reaction to what Lyra’s having now.” She looked with sympathy at her younger sister. “Lyra, what did you see? It must have been terrible.”

Lyra nodded. “I saw him making up dummies of the two of you and using a blade to slit their throats. He must have gotten some pigs blood or something to fill the necks with, because it looked so realistic. And he wore a crest, with wyverns on it…”

Talia and Elspeth looked at each other, frowning. Then Talia turned to Lyra. “Are you alright with me trancing down enough to see the images associated with the emotions you’re feeling?” Lyra nodded, nibbling a little on the soft bread, and Talia tranced down. It didn’t take long before she was shocked out of it. “That’s _Orthallen’s_ crest.”

“That’s impossible,” Elspeth said. “He’s dead. I killed him myself.”

“That doesn’t mean someone else hasn’t taken up the mantle, someone who thought he was in the right,” Talia said.

Rris’s mindvoice broadcast to everyone else in the room. _:This is very exciting. It is a great big mystery. It is just like the ones my famous cousin Warrl used to help solve.:_

“I believe it is our Shin’a’in cousins,” Darkwind said, “that remind us that ‘may your life always be exciting’ is a very potent curse.”

“It issss not jussst the Shin’a’in who sssssay it,” Hydona said. “But it isss true.”

“I don’t think we’re going to get any further on this, today,” Talia said. She turned back to Lyra. “You did a wonderful job for such a challenging object. I’m proud of you, and I’m sure your parents will be, as well. You can try again when you’re feeling up to it.”

Lyra just nodded. “I think I just need a rest. That took more energy than I expected.”

“Come on. I’ll get you set up for the backlash headache you’re sure to feel.” Now that Lyra was using her Gift regularly, Talia decided it was important for her to keep a constant supply of the powder for the tea that aided with a backlash headache. She gathered up a decent supply, along with the mug and hot water kettle. She set the water to boiling, measured out the powder, and moved to place the container on the shelf. “Where do you keep your moon tea? I’ll put the headache powder next to it.”

“Moon tea?”

Talia frowned. “You’re not using moon tea?”

Lyra shook her head. “Nobody’s taught me…”

“I assumed, since you and Kris…”

“What’s moon tea? And why should I be using it?”

Talia sighed and rubbed her temples. “Moon tea helps to regulate your cycle and your moon days, Lyra. It also helps keep you from getting pregnant. You mean to tell me that you and Kris have been lying together, and you’ve not been using moon tea?”

“I didn’t know. We didn’t think…we just…” She looked up at Talia somewhat pathetically. “We love each other. Kris and I love each other. A lot. Hence why my father walked in on us. This isn’t just us fooling around. Talia, I can’t be without him. I _need_ him. I’d rather be dead than without him.”

Once more, Talia tranced down. She looked, carefully, and confirmed two things. The first was that yes, Kris and Lyra had a lifebond. Which, of course, told her that her son was definitely not her friend reincarnated, as her friend would never have developed a lifebond and had no interest in romance whatsoever. But that was off the subject. The second thing she confirmed was that she was not going to be a grandmother any time soon, which as she was only forty, that was fine with her.

“Lyra, you have a lifebond with Kris. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a wonderful thing. Lifebonds can be amazing. I hope you don’t mind, but I also checked, just to make sure, and you’re not pregnant. It wouldn’t have been a problem. Kat was born while Adelyn was in her first year of training. But trust me when I say that it’s going to be easier for you to finish your training without a baby and I do hope you and Kris don’t have any children until you’ve both discussed it and are ready. That being said, I’m going to get you set up with some moon tea and teach you how to use it, since apparently your mother hasn’t.”

***

In her office, a shiver when down Selenay’s back. _:Caryo, could you talk to Rolan and find out why I’m getting the sense, suddenly, that Talia is rather upset with me?:_

A moment passed before Caryo answered. _:You failed to teach Lyra the same thing you failed to teach Elspeth, and again, Talia had to take up the slack. Only this time, Talia is particularly peeved because Lyra and Kris have been sleeping together and Talia just had to confirm that no, she’s not pregnant, and be relieved that she’s not going to be a grandmother at forty.:_

Selenay chuckled. _:Well, I suppose I did drop the ball on that one. Alright. I’ll apologize to her later.:_


	28. Death of a Queen

Herald Mical had arrived the night before. With Lyra in bed from a reaction headache, Talia went to him. “You have no idea how glad I am you’re in residence.”

“Only for a couple of days, and then I’m back on the road for another circuit.”

“Yes, well, our only other Touch Reader is only a trainee, and she has a reaction headache, and we _need_ this thing fully Read.”

Mical looked up at Talia from where he’d been fletching his arrows. “Since when is there a trainee with my Gift? And why wasn’t I called in to teach her?”

“Well, she also has Empathy, and since they’re related, Selenay thought it best if I just took her on, especially since you tend to be a bit rougher around the edges, and the trainee in question is Lyla.”

“So it’s a pampered princess. She could probably use some roughness. Alright. I’ll stick around long enough to Read whatever it is, and even help train her.”

“It’s the dagger that killed my father.”

Mical blanched. “Alberich’s dead? Damn. Shows how much attention I’ve been paying attention to the news for the past eighteen months. Guess I need to ask for more than just the absolute necessary, from now on. I’m sorry to hear that, Talia. Your father was a good man. Did you catch the asshole that took him out?”

“Not yet. That’s why we need the dagger read. The Mages have been keeping it under shield, since it’s a Night Blade. It’s pure evil. Lyra managed to see the man who did it, and find that he’s somehow related to Orthallen, but that’s it.”

Mical put down his arrows. “Take me to it.” Talia nodded and took Mical to the Night Blade. With it under shield, Mical put his hands on it and concentrated. “Bright blessed Astara’s tits!” he exclaimed. “Who knew Lord Orthallen had a bastard son?”

***

Now it was Kris’s turn in this investigation. His Farsight was as strong as his namesake’s, and by combining it with his Empathy, he could, unlike his namesake, reach out and find something with strong emotions attached without his mother’s help. Or someone. Having felt the kind of hatred brewing in Orthallen’s son through both Lyla and Mical, he reached out and was able to pinpoint that the man was hiding out at Wyvern’s Reach.

“That doesn’t mean he’ll be easy to capture,” Talia said. “He has enough Mage power to create a Night Blade, kill my father, and get out. He’s killed Keldar. Who knows who he’ll kill next? And he’ll likely be able to sense anyone coming after him.”

“I wouldn’t try Fetching from such a far distance,” Dirk said. “It nearly killed me the last time I did it, and I had the help of multiple Heralds and Companions.”

“No, Fetching won’t help,” Talia said, “but Mage alerts, at least.”

“Then I guess that task falls to the Mages,” Kris said.

“I’ll write to Hardorn,” Talia said. “They need to know.”

***

The news back from Tremaine and Tiffany in Hardorn was bad. Maya had escaped, somehow, and now there was the fear that she and Orthallen’s son would be able to get together, to cause even more trouble.

Instead, the two of them seemed to be biding their time. This was worrisome because it meant they could be planning anything.

There was nothing to do but to train the young ones, and Talia tried so hard not to cry the day Kris went off on his internship. When she learned it was the same sector she had ridden, she went overboard with advice, telling him about snow sickness, about raiders, and to make sure that he took plenty of trail bars, just in case.

Robin, who had taken over as Historian, was acting as Kris’s mentor. Talia had been a surrogate mother figure to him when he was little, and now… Now he was laughing at her. “Talia, it will be fine. I know your internship went south, but I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

“And yourself, too,” Talia said. She hugged them both.

“Mooooom….” The way Kris dragged it out made it clear he was embarrassed by Talia’s overprotective nature.

Dirk clasped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. Selenay will keep her plenty busy.”

Agathe hugged Kris tightly. “I’ll miss you while you’re away.”

“I’ll miss you, too, sis.”

“Hey, at least you actually get to go in the field,” Lan said, as he and Lyra came to say goodbye to Kris. “Mother’s making us do our internships in the courts.”

“Well, making you,” Lyra said. She grinned. “Because you’re the older twin and we got Chosen at the same time, you’re the Heir, so I get to go in the field. I’m heading out with Herald Mical tomorrow.”

Kris kissed Lyra. “You be safe, yourself.”

“So long as you do,” Lyra said. “I still plan to marry you once we’re both done.”

“Oh, and yes, chirras sing,” Talia said. “Don’t forget that. They’re wonderful for harmonies if you’re using music to entertain yourselves at night.”

***

Talia was counting down the days until her son came home. There was a month left, she figured. And then the death bell tolled in the middle of the night, jerking both Talia and Dirk awake.

They looked at each other. Selenay. Talia dressed and ran to the palace. What she found was a bloodbath. The guards were dead, slaughtered. Selenay had never had a chance. Daren was fighting the man who had killed his wife, and Talia drew a dagger, rushing the bastard.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The assassin threw Daren, who hit his head on the desk and was knocked unconscious. He then turned on Talia, who proceeded to duck under his arms and stab him in the stomach, dropping him.

Quickly, she brought him under second stage truth spell, before he could bleed out. “Who are you?”

“Drake. I’m Lord Orthallen’s son. And Maya and I will see you dead, as well.”

“Maya can try. I won’t bother having the Healers treat you. You’ll be dead before she even knows you got caught.”

“I killed your father. I was going to kill your husband, too. And your daughter. All to unbalance you. Your son’s not going to make it home from his internship, either.”

“Yes, he will,” Talia said. “You’re the one not making it home.” And she slit his throat, as cold-blooded as any Herald had the potential to be in defense of Valdemar. And then she called for a Healer for Daren, though she wasn’t surprised when, instead of waking up, he death willed himself to be with his beloved Selenay.

Talia was forced to mourn her friends privately. After all, she had a new king to crown and play King’s Own to. She doubted the Circle would enforce the last month of his internship. If they did, she could and would act as regent for him for that month.

But the moment she was in private, in Dirk’s warm embrace, she cried.


	29. Ready for a Fight

Kat had just gotten her Whites when everything happened. Her first thought was to run to Elspeth, who would be her mentor on her internship, and comfort her. But she would have Darkwind for that, and would need to explain to Sterope why she wouldn’t get to see her grandparents anymore.

Her second thought had been to seek out and comfort her aunt Kero, for she and Daren had been friends since they were young. But Kero had Eldan, who was in residence more often than not, of late. Possibly because, like everyone of that generation, he was starting to feel the mileage in the years.

Instead, Kat went to Lancir. Unlike his twin, he was doing his internship here in Haven, and he would have been struck not just by the death of his parents but by the ringing of the Death Bell. If there was nothing else, she could offer her condolences to her new king.

It seemed so odd to think of Lan as king. She’d always known that he was a prince. She’d been there when he’d been named Heir. She’d always known, in the back of her mind, that Lan would be King Lancir someday. But at the forefront, he, Lyra, and Kris were simply her dearest friends. Nevermind that her heart longed for Lan in other ways that she knew could not be. After all, it might be that Lan would need to make a marriage of state to secure Valdemar’s safety.

She was just reaching for a skirt when there was a knock at her door. Assuming it was her mother, she opened the door, and was surprised to find Lan already there. “Can I come in?” he asked.

“You’re always welcome to seek me out,” Kat said. “In fact, I was just getting ready to come to you. I figured Elspeth has Darkwind and needs to explain things to Sterope, Aunt Kero has Eldan, Lyra is out on internship and has her mentor, but you… You can’t even reach out to Talia, right now, because she has to alert the Council and so many other things to prepare for your coronation.”

Lan closed the door behind him. “You’re right. That’s why I came to you. You’re the only one I feel comfortable turning to, right now. Kat…my parents are _gone…._ I’m only nineteen, Kat. I don’t feel ready for this.”

Kat led him over to the couch in her new rooms and sat down next to him. “I have faith in you, Lan. And Talia would actually probably find time for you, because as Monarch’s Own, that’s her job. But I’m here for you, as well. And as not just your subject, not just as one of your Heralds, but as one of your dearest friends, I’ll stand behind you. And when Talia inevitably starts pulling out princesses from other kingdoms for you to marry to make an alliance of state, I’ll help you sort through them.”

“I am not making a marriage of state,” Kat. “Never. Aside from the fact that we have a strong alliance with every kingdom that borders Valdemar, there’s someone else I would make not only my consort, but my queen.” He kissed her, then, and Kat kissed him back.

She felt a little guilty as he continued to kiss her. She’d yearned for this, for him, since she was old enough to feel such desires. How could she deny him something she wanted so badly, herself? But at the same time, how could she let him make a decision in his grief that he might later regret?

And so, she pulled away. “Lan… I’m not going to lie. I want this. I want you. For four long years I’ve wanted you. But goddess, Lan… What if you regret this in the morning and realize I’m not what you want, just convenient in a time in which you’re vulnerable emotionally?”

“I’ve wanted you just as long,” Lan said, starting to gather up Kat’s nightgown. “I’ve resisted because I thought you had no interest in me as anything other than a friend. But tonight, when I need comfort the most, and now I’ve heard your own confessions… It’s a lifebond, Kat. I’m sure of it.”

Kat nodded her consent, then, and allowed Lan to take her to her bed, where the two of them proceeded to make love, and then held each other until late into the morning.

***

Kris couldn’t imagine what those back in Haven might be going through right now. But he and Robin still had a month to go before they handed their chirras off to the next Herald to take the circuit. And a Herald had to finish his circuit, even when there was a national crisis.

He worried about Lan and Lyra. Lan was his best friend. Lyra was the love of his life. He was also worried about his mother. Talia, Kris knew, would throw herself head-first into her work in order to distract herself. She’d done the same when Alberich had died.

 _:It’s wise to worry about her, Chosen,:_ Branwen said. _:You’re right. She absolutely will take on too much by herself, or at least attempt to. But we don’t have time to worry about it right now. Danger is coming. I’ve sent a mind call out to Vixen and Gwena, because it’s a Mage coming. You’ll need a Mage to help you.:_

_:How close is the danger?:_

_:They’ll need to Gate to get here in time. Altra will help them.:_

And then Kris saw the flash of the Mage lights. It wasn’t a Gate. It wasn’t near where a Gate could be, as it was too far outside the waystation. “Robin!”

“I’m ready, Kris.”

“My family just cannot catch a break, can we?”

“Not to the best of my memory. Remember, I was around one of the times your mother nearly died.” Robin smiled fondly at the memory. “Devan let me go and tell everyone she’d live and was awake.”

“Just how many times _has_ my mother nearly died, anyway?”

“Not sure. You’d have to ask her.”

“Well, it will just have to wait until after we get home. It looks like trouble’s here.”

There was another flash of light, and Elspeth, Darkwind, and Kat all stepped through. “And so is help,” Elspeth said. “Her bastard of a partner killed my parents. Talia got him. We get to take her down.”


	30. Go Away, Maya

Kris stepped out to meet Maya, first. “Seems to me like there’s not much to fear from you,” he said. “You hit my mother at one point, but it barely hurt her and it fizzled out. I doubt you’re beyond Apprentice rank. But it’s been Drake that’s been doing all your dirty work, all the killing.”

“Drake was nothing but a tool, just as his father was to mine,” Maya said.

Kris lazily twirled his sword a little. “Journeyman, maybe? Not any higher, though. Naril never took Ancar above that, from what I’ve heard. Why would she do that with you? And considering your age, there definitely wasn’t time.”

“Boy, I can’t wait to see your mother die of heartache when she learns she’s lost you. Is it true you Heralds know immediately when another has died, that there’s a special magical bell in Haven that rings when it happens?”

“Jealous that we have that kind of tie to each other and can rely on each other that well?” Kris asked. “Or are you just jealous that I had a good relationship with my parents and you didn’t? Poor Maya. Daddy hated you, or maybe was completely indifferent? What is it about so-called avengers who seek to avenge known evil that makes them think everyone else will sympathize with some sob story, possibly made up, to the point that we’ll lower our guard?”

“I don’t know,” Robin said, stepping forward. He had his bow drawn and aimed. “Good thing you’re not alone, though.”

Maya scoffed. “What good will your pathetic weapons do?” With a wave of her hand, she bent Kris’s blade and broke Robin’s bow string. “And for the record, I am a Master class Mage.”

“I guess we’d be equal then,” Kat said. “My teachers ensured that I reached Master Class before I was allowed into Whites.”

“And we outrank you as Adepts,” Elspeth said, as she and Darkwind made themselves known.

Fear was starting to become visible in Maya’s eyes, now. Kris and Robin dropped their ruined weapons, and a shield surrounded all of them. Elspeth, Darkwind, and Kat worked together, attacking Maya magically from three different sides.

Maya couldn’t keep up with all three. Not and defend herself from a physical attack.

Kris and Robin took advantage of this. Robin circled around to the left. Kris circled around to the right.

Together they leapt at her. The Mages simultaneously stopped attacking Maya as a dagger ran into her from each side. They were _not_ taking chances.

Kris withdrew his dagger and, in a moment of mercy, so that Maya would not be in pain as she died, he slit her throat, ending it quickly.

***

The Mages had used too much energy and wouldn’t be able to Gate back to Haven. Not that night. Still, they also knew to give Robin and Kris some privacy as the two sat by the fire, talking about the fact that it had been a first kill for both of them. After all, Robin had not seen combat during his internship, and was almost always in Haven since.

And then Elspeth and Darkwind went over to help them understand and sort through their feelings, after giving them time to figure out what those feelings were. They knew those feelings, themselves.

Kat sent messages back and forth to Lan via their Companions, apologizing for having to leave his side, assuring him that Maya was dead. Lan’s messages came back, forgiving her for leaving, knowing that she was doing her duty to Valdemar, reminding her that he loved her.

She smiled a little at that last message and sent back assurances of her own love for him. Goddess, but the past twenty-four hours had been terrible. But yet something wonderful had come of them. She just hoped that Lan didn’t end up regretting everything once his grief had lessened and he no longer needed her.

_:Oh, he’ll always need you, Chosen, just as you’ll always need him.:_

_:You think so, Vixen?:_

_:It’s a lifebond. You two will never stop needing each other. And for what it’s worth, you’re going to be a wonderful queen, in my opinion.:_

_:That’s what makes me most nervous. I don’t know anything about ruling. How am I supposed to help him do it?:_

_:He will help you. Lyra will help you. I will help you. Elspeth will help you. Talia, as Monarch’s Own, will help you. You and Lan are both young. The two of you will do this together, and support each other.:_

_:That’s definitely something we can do, is support each other and take on the challenge together. Thank you for confirming it’s a lifebond. That makes me feel better about all of it. It means we really can weather everything together.:_

Kris, meanwhile, was bedding down, and having a different conversation with his own Companion. _:Branwen?:_

_:What is is it, Chosen?:_

_:Just how bad is the stress on my mother?:_

_:It’s bad, Chosen. But I can’t tell you how bad, because only my sire is truly privy to that information. I just know that my sire is worried about her. As in, already thinking about her replacement worried. Beyond that, though, he won’t confide in me.:_

Kris felt his stomach drop with anxiety. That bad? But, what about Agathe? She needed their mother, still. _:Do you think she’s sick?:_

_:I don’t think so, no. But again, only my sire is privy to anything your mother keeps between the two of them. I think it’s just stress, though. If so, give it a month. You and Robin will be home just in time for Lan’s coronation, and then some of the stress will be taken from her. I’m sure that will help, Chosen.:_

_:I hope you’re right, Branwen. I really do.:_


	31. King's Own

Kris and Lyra married quietly the day after Lan was crowned. The Heralds’ revel that had followed the coronation, however, just didn’t feel quite the same without Selenay and Daren there. Or without Alberich there, for that matter, swapping stories and drinks with Sherril, Keren, and Myste. Myste didn’t even bother to attend.

Talia was just grateful she was no longer forced to act as regent for Lan and only act as Monarch’s Own again. Faramentha had even sent one of his younger sons to take his uncle’s place on the Grand Council to represent Rethwellan in the Alliance.

Perhaps, now that things were starting to return to normal, there would be an end to the headaches she’d been getting. They were almost constant, of late, and she’d started to have little dizzy spells.

It was time to go to Lan’s first official audience as king, but something felt so wrong, and Talia suddenly fell. She saw nothing, heard nothing, and only vaguely felt her body jerking before feeling nothing at all.

She woke up in her bed, Devan to one side of her, Dirk and Agathe both looking at her anxiously from the other side. “What…what happened…?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Devan said.

“Papa and I came in to find you on the floor, unconscious,” Agathe said. “I went to fetch Devan.”

“And I think I’ve found it,” Devan said, frowning. “A growth in her head, where it shouldn’t be. There is a procedure we can do, but it’s painful. It involves cutting a hole in your skull, Talia, and then removing the growth.”

“That does sound painful,” Talia said. “But it can’t be worse than what I suffered at Ancar’s hands.”

Dirk sat down next to Talia. He kissed her softly. “I’m going to be with you beside everything, no matter what you decide, Love.”

“We all will,” Agathe said. “And I’ll help keep you entertained. Papa is helping teach me the harp, and I’ll learn more at Bardic.”

“At Bardic?” Talia asked, surprised.

Dirk smiled. “She has the Bardic Gift, and strong, too,” he said. “She must have gotten it from my side. Combined with the natural talent she obviously got from you and the creativity she’s always had, the Dean of Bardic said it would be impossible to ignore her.”

Talia finally got a good look at her daughter, seeing that she was wearing the rust-colored robes of a Bardic student. She must have just been coming back to get her things to move into her rooms at the Collegium. “I’m proud of you,” she said.

“See?” Dirk said. “I told you she wouldn’t be upset you weren’t Chosen.”

Talia struggled to sit up. “Absolutely not. Being a Herald isn’t exactly glamorous. It’s your job as a Bard to make us sound more heroic and amazing than we really are. Ask Devan.”

Devan just grumbled something about half-dead Heralds demanding speed-Healing.

“What was that?” Talia asked.

“You know damn well what that was about, oh she who keeps defying death and is responsible for likely three-fourths of my gray hairs,” Devan said.

“Is this about the time Mama nearly drowned? Or about the time she was nearly killed by a would-be tyrant?” Agathe asked. She and Kris had heard all their parents’ stories.

“Oh, definitely the time she was nearly killed,” Devan said. “Now, about the procedure. I will admit that there’s a possibility we won’t get all of it if we go in to cut it out. There’s also the chance that we could cut out too much and damage your brain. The other option, of course, is to go in purely through Healing Gift.”

“It sounds like it might not be worth the risk of trying to cut it out. I…I need to be able to continue doing my job,” Talia said.

“That will be difficult,” Devan admitted. “You _know_ how much Healing can take your energy.”

“I won’t ask you to Speed Heal me old friend, if that helps,” Talia said.

“Good,” Devan said, “because it won’t be possible with this.”

Talia slid out of bed. “Now then, I need to get back to work.”

Dirk caught her as she dropped again. “Tomorrow, my love. You need to rest, today.”

“I’ll get started on Healing,” Devan said. “That will allow you to rest the night, Talia, and you should be alright to attend to your duties in the morning, but you should probably make arrangements with Lancir to get someone to stand in for you.”

***

Lyra didn’t understand it. She really didn’t. She was a good Touch Reader. She had some Empathy. But she just didn’t feel that strong of a bond with her Companion, even now that she’d completed her internship. They never Mindspoke each other.

And to make things worse, Talia was sick. Lyra had been switching back and forth with Elspeth in standing in on days when Talia was too sick to be at Court, standing in for her. And over the past year, Talia had been steadily declining. She’d barely been able to stand when Lan and Kat had married as soon as Kat had returned from her own internship. Because Elspeth was needed here, Herald Anda had been called from K’Valdemar Vale to be Kat’s mentor.

Despite Talia’s illness, though, she was the only one Lyra could think of to talk to, and so she went to visit.

Talia was sitting up, weak. She’d gone almost completely blind from the growth in her brain, but she could still use her Empathy, and her hearing was still sharp. “Hello, Lyra.”

“I need advice, Talia.”

“Not sure how much I can give,” Talia admitted. “My mind has been so foggy lately.” She couldn’t even sit up, and she was barely eating.

“I spend so much time with my Companion. You know that. But our bond seems so weak still.”

Talia reached out and took her daughter-in-law’s hand. “I’m afraid I don’t understand the Herald-Companion bond as well as I wish, but I have a theory and….oh…oh…go get Dirk…and Kris…and Agathe...and tell them…tell them _Kris_ is here…”

Lyra looked around. She couldn’t see anyone. “There’s nobody here. And tell Kris that he’s here when he’s not…?”

“No, not Kris. _Kris._ Mine and Dirk’s old friend, who we named our son for. He’s here. Go, tell them.”

Lyra, sensing how important this was, ran to fetch them. And when they heard what she had to say, they ran to Talia, who reached out for all of them.

Dirk knew what this had to mean. “Take care of her, brother…” he whispered, as he kissed Talia.

And then the death bell rang.

Lyra left her husband and his family to mourn. She nearly fell down the last few steps when she felt something strange happen. The bond with her Companion _broke._ She stumbled outside, feeling heartbroken, when suddenly Rolan confronted her.

 _:You were born for this, heart sister,:_ Rolan said. _:Your bond was weak because it was meant to be broken. It was temporary, just waiting until this moment, and I Choose you, Lyra, King’s Own Herald.:_


End file.
